Activities of FCV/Infrastructure Demonstration Program in Japan

Abstract

The Research Association of Hydrogen Supply/Utilization Technology (HySUT) was established in July 2009 by private companies and organizations with the aim of the commercialization of FCVs and the hydrogen infrastructure. Our objective is to solve the issues of technology, consumer awareness, and social acceptance in order to assist the business establishment through the demonstration. The Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) is a major demonstration program of FCV and hydrogen infrastructure in Japan that began in 2002. We had been operating the technical and social demonstration program called JHFC3 from April 2011 to March 2014 after JHFC1 (2002-2005) and JHFC2 (2006-2010), as a joint research program with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). We operated 13 hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) in March 2014. 1. Technical and Social Demonstration (JHFC3) We have acquired demonstration data on durability, convenience and practicability of the FCVs and hydrogen infrastructure through the operation of our HRSs serving FCVs and fuel cell buses for the start of commercialization of FCVs. The program was focusing on four technology targets: 1) 70MPa filling technology, 2) Low cost station technology, 3) High frequency operation, 4) Demonstration of total system technology. 2. NEDO’s New Project “Hydrogen utilization technology development” We are now leading five new R&D projects which are essential for the commercialization of HRSs in 2015, such as 1) Fueling, 2) Fueling Hose, 3) Hydrogen Quality Control, 4) Hydrogen Metering, 5) Infrastructure Safety under the NEDO program.