Iwatani Launches Mobile Hydrogen Delivery Service, A Step toward a Future with Fuel Cell Vehicles

On April 18, 2007 Iwatani International Corporation, a Japanese company in the natural gas and energy business, announced that together with Kansai Electric Power Company it had jointly developed a liquefied hydrogen storage type mobile refueling station mounted on a semi-trailer, and would start operations in the Kansai area.

At the early stages of the utilization of hydrogen fuel-based systems in Japan, the companies thought it would be practical to start with mobile or small basic supply stations, and then to expand the hydrogen supply network step by step in each area in response to demand. The two companies worked together to develop the mobile refueling station, in order to build an initial hydrogen supply infrastructure.

Making key components more compact and loading all the required equipment (liquid hydrogen tank, filling equipment, utilities equipment, etc.) onto a semi-trailer resulted in a mobile system to supply hydrogen. Because liquefied hydrogen has high density it requires less volume for storage than the gas in compressed form. A 2,000-liter tank can fill around 15 fuel-cell vehicles.

As a delivery service system the mobile refueling station will be moved to wherever it is needed, and will supply hydrogen at satellite stations to be set up by the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration (JHFC) Project, under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

http://www.iwatani.co.jp/eng/

Posted: 2007/09/12 03:03:14 PM
Japanese version