JAPAN – Eleven Japanese companies have signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration toward the large-scale construction of hydrogen stations for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).
The companies – Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd., Toho Gas Co., Ltd., Air Liquide Japan Ltd., Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Development Bank of Japan Inc. – aim to achieve the acceleration of the construction of hydrogen stations in the current early stage of FCV commercialiation.
The construction will use an “all Japan” approach centered on collaboration among the 11 companies.
It stems from the Japanese government’s “Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells”(1) (revised on March 22, 2016), which targets a total of 160 operational hydrogen stations and 40,000 in-use FCVs by fiscal 2020.
Recognizing the challenges facing the hydrogen station business in early-stage commercialization of FCVs, the memorandum of understanding is based on the idea that the companies concerned should cooperate and fulfill their respective roles(2) to achieve the strategic development of hydrogen stations for maximizing FCV demand and to contribute to the steady popularization of FCVs.
The 11 companies will consider ways for broad participation by other companies in the future and will disseminate information appropriately. – BusinessNewsAsia.com