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Japan: Hydrogen fueling stations to nearly double by 2022

An alliance of 11 Japanese companies, including automakers and energy firms, has pledged to build 80 fueling stations for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2022 to help accelerate acceptance of the next-generation fuel technology.

Japan H2 Mobility LLC, whose backers include Toyota Motor Corp. and JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy, said in early March 2018 it would oversee the construction and operation of the new fueling stations, nearly doubling the present number of 90 stations.

As countries seek low-emissions energy sources to power vehicles, homes and industry, Japan is betting heavily on becoming a “hydrogen society” despite the high costs and technical difficulties of a process that creates electricity from a chemical reaction of fuel and oxygen.

JXTG Nippon Oil Senior Vice President Yutaka Kuwahara said in February 2018 that a lack of users and high costs to build and operate fueling stations had slowed construction in Japan, delaying a previous government target to build 100 stations by March 2016.

Japan currently has about 90 stations, with at least 40 operated by JXTG Nippon Oil, and another 10 are in the planning or construction stage.

“We must lower costs, which will remove many of the bottlenecks to developing more stations,” he told reporters at a briefing.  Reuters

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