Hydrogen Highway Project in Progress in Fukuoka

Copyright Fukuoka Prefecture

The Prefecture of Fukuoka in southern Japan and the Fukuoka Strategy Conference for Hydrogen Energy decided on October 15, 2008, to install hydrogen stations at two locations: Kyushu University Ito campus and Higashida area, Yahatahigashi Ward, Kitakyushu. The objective is to enable fuel-cell and hydrogen-powered vehicles to operate freely by establishing an infrastructure or a "hydrogen highway."

Following the Fukuoka Hydrogen Town Project which installed residential hydrogen fuel cells on a large scale, this is the second project of the Fukuoka Hydrogen Strategies that attempts to bring mass hydrogen usage to realization.

The Kyushu University hydrogen station on Ito campus, jointly established by Kyushu University, Kyushu Electric Power Co., Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp., and Kyuki Corp., obtains hydrogen through water electrolysis. The test operation is planned to start in September 2009. Additional research and development is planned to enable water electrolysis with solar power, making it a carbon-free station.

Kitakyushu Hydrogen Energy Station built in Higashida, Yahatahigashi Ward, Kitakyushu, jointly by Iwatani Corp., Nippon Steel Corp., and Nippon Oil Corp., uses byproduct hydrogen supplied through pipeline from steel plants. The test operation is scheduled to start in September 2009. This is Japan's first and world's third next-generation hydrogen station using a pipeline.

World's Largest 'Hydrogen Town Project' Starts in Japan (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028694.html

Posted: 2009/07/21 06:00:15 AM

TAG Energy , Local government , Manufacturing industry , Non-manufacturing industry , University/Research institute