Hydrogen Council announces leadership change: original founder Air Liquide passes reins to new cochair Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Brussels, February 2nd 2022
The Hydrogen Council is announcing an important change of leadership, as Mr. Yoshinori Kanehana,
Chairman of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki), becomes a new co-chair of the Council along withTom Linebarger. Kawasaki is one of the founding members of the Council and a key player in the hydrogensector advocating for its role in accelerating the decarbonization of the industry. An innovator and pioneer
within the industry, Kawasaki has been leading HySTRA (Co2-free Hydrogen Energy Supply ChainTechnology Research Association) and working with its partners on the realization of the international
shipping of liquefied hydrogen, through the operation of the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier SUISOFRONTIER between Australia and Japan.
Mr. Yoshinori Kanehana says “I am honored to be appointed as a new Board member and co-chair. We
are now at a critical stage in our journey from the demonstration to the commercial stage for the global
deployment of hydrogen. It is essential to bring together the knowledge and expertise of the various
members of the Council towards our common objectives. Amidst the unprecedented challenges, let me
assert my firm belief that the hydrogen industry will rapidly expand and mature by strengthening
partnerships with stakeholders including key industries, policy makers and investors. I look forward toworking together towards the realization of a global hydrogen economy.”
The Council would like to acknowledge the strong leadership of outgoing co-chair Mr. Benoît Potier, CEOand Chairman of Air Liquide, who has thoughtfully guided members over the last five years. It was hisleadership that led to the formation of the Council and under his direction that it has helped elevatehydrogen’s global profile as a viable solution. As Mr. Potier steps away from his co-chair role, he willremain an active Board Member and play an important part in connecting with leaders in Europe on behalfof the Council.
“The Hydrogen Council has come a long way in the last five years, with more than 130 members today
compared to 13 at the time of its creation in 2017. It has played a key role in showing the world whathydrogen can bring to a successful energy transition. Today, this role is widely recognized as the total
investment into projects and along the whole value chain of hydrogen around the world is estimated atmore than $500 billion through 2030. As the hydrogen revolution is entering a new phase of its
development, and as I hand over my role as co-chairman to Mr. Yoshinori Kanehana, I am confident thatthe Hydrogen Council will continue to contribute in maintaining this momentum. I am also looking forward
to remaining an active member of the Council to further advocate the incredible merits of hydrogen.” Mr.
Benoît Potier, CEO and Chairman of Air Liquide.
Mr. Kanehana will promote the Council’s activities with fellow Council co-chair Mr. Tom Linebarger,
Chairman and CEO of Cummins Inc., who began his two-year term in July of 2021.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to Yoshinori as he takes on this new role in hydrogen leadership. I lookforward to working closely with him and KHI to further the Council’s vision, which has been deeply
influenced by Benoît and Air Liquide, and making meaningful progress together in the journey to global
decarbonization.” says Mr. Tom Linebarger, Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc.

Since its creation, the Hydrogen Council has witnessed major changes in the development of the hydrogeneconomy. The unprecedented growth of the Council’s membership in the past year is the result of theimportant shift in global mindset and constant work from the Council’s members to define a united visionand long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the decarbonization of our economies.
Daryl Wilson – Executive Director of the Hydrogen Council, outlines “We are now in the critical anddifficult stage of implementation. The industrial project commitments must meet with public priorities,
policy and funding commitments to fully realize contribution that only hydrogen can make toward the net
zero journey. It is great to have the guidance of strong global leaders in the field as we navigate thesenext milestones.”-ENDS-

About the Hydrogen Council:
The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-led initiative that brings together leading companies with a united
vision and long-term ambition for hydrogen to foster the clean energy transition. The Council believes
that hydrogen has a key role to play in reaching our global decarbonisation goals by helping to diversify
energy sources worldwide, foster business and technological innovation as drivers for long-term economic
growth, and decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors. Using its global reach to promote collaboration between
governments, industry and investors, the Council provides guidance on accelerating the deployment ofhydrogen solutions around the world. It also acts as a business marketplace, bringing together a diverse
group of 130+ companies based in 20+ countries and across the entire hydrogen value chain, including
large multinationals, innovative SMEs, and investors. The Hydrogen Council also serves as a resource forsafety standards and an interlocutor for the investment community, while identifying opportunities forregulatory advocacy in key geographies. To find out more visit www.hydrogencouncil.com and follow us
on Twitter @HydrogenCouncil and LinkedIn.