(Invited) Japan’s Current Policy and Activity Toward Hydrogen Society-Introduction of Representative Projects in Japan
Authors: Hara Daishu 
Published: December 2020

Based on Japan’s nationally determined contributions submitted to the United Nations in 2016, Japan plans to cut its GHG emissions by 26% in FY2030 compared to FY2013 levels through reductions in domestic GHG emissions and absorption. To do so, it is necessary to cut 310 million tons of CO₂ in total, and we need to pay special attention to the power generation sector since it accounts currently for 40% of total CO₂ emissions. In addition, Japan’s Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures seeks to cut GHG emissions by 80% over the long term through 2050 by taking maximum advantage of innovations, including the development and diffusion of innovative technologies outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Under these circumstances, Japanese government considers that realization of hydrogen society is one of solution of reduction of GHG. To promote the widespread use of hydrogen and become a world-leading hydrogen-based society, the Japanese government formulated the Basic Hydrogen Strategy in December 2017. The strategy outlines the future visions for the year 2050, and also serves as an action plan through the year 2030. The strategy sets a goal for Japan to reduce the cost of hydrogen to the same level as those for conventional energy sources. The strategy also aims to develop international hydrogen supply chains and domestic power-to-gas (P2G) technology so that renewable hydrogen supplies can meet an annual demand of approximately 300,000 tons of hydrogen at a cost of 30 yen/Nm3 by 2030, with the cost expected to drop as low as 20 yen/Nm³ for the years that follow. The target numbers of hydrogen-related applications to be produced or installed, such as fuel cell vehicles (FCV), fuel cell buses, hydrogen refueling stations (HRS), and stationary fuel cells, are indicated in the strategy. Following this strategy, on March 12, 2019, the Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells renewed the existing Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell in order to achieve the goals set forth in the Basic Hydrogen Strategy. The renewed roadmap defines: (i) new targets on specifications of basic technologies and a breakdown of costs; (ii) necessary measures for achieving these goals; and (iii) the method by which Japan will convene a working group consisting of experts to review the status of implementation in each area stipulated by the roadmap.

Based on this, NEDO, as one of largest public agencies promoting national R&D projects in Japan, conducts various projects as followings;

Fuel Cells: Until FY2019, NEDO implemented 2 projects. In the case of PEFC field, the main objective of the project is reducing usage costs for transportation means such as FCV, since PEFCs for such use need the highest level of reliability for use in commercial vehicles. Through activation of a catalysis in platinum group metals, the target value per kW of a cell is from 0.03 to 0.1 g PGM/kW, as an example. As to SOFC, the target of the efficiency in the project is 65% with mono-generation use and a durability of 90,000 h. In order to clarify the technical issues for high-efficiency and durable SOFC cell-stacks or create a concept for high-efficiency cell-stacks, the project concentrates on the evaluation of the durability of stacks, clarification of degradation mechanisms, the development of simulation technique, and the development of high-durability cells. From FY2020, NEDO started brand new project entitled as “Collaborative Industry-Academia-Government R&D Project for Solving Common Challenges toward Dramatically Expanded Use of Fuel Cells” which investigate the basic mechanism of common difficulties for commercialization of fuel cells among industry.

Hydrogen Refueling Station (HRS): A regulatory reform of FCV/HRS is one approach for reducing CAPEX/OPEX. Unstaffed operation with remote monitoring is another solution; however, a risk assessment on HRS needs to be considered deeply as well. Developing low-cost equipment such as polymer materials for dispensers and electrochemical compressors is an important target as well.

Large-Scale Supply Chain: To develop a large-scale supply chain, NEDO has embarked on technological development to convert unused energy from overseas into hydrogen and transport it long distance to Japan as well. NEDO selected two types of hydrogen carriers: one is liquid hydrogen from Australia; and the other is organic chemical hydrides from Brunei.

Power-To-Gas (P2G): NEDO conducts several P2G projects. One example is the world's largest-scale P2G demonstration with 10-MW electrolysis in Fukushima Prefecture called “Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R)”.