Japan pledges $107 bn hydrogen energy plans to curb emissions

TOKYO: Japan’s government on Tuesday adopted a revision to the country’s plans to use more hydrogen as fuel as part of the effort to reduce carbon emissions.

The plan sets an ambitious target to increase the annual supply by six times from the current level to 12 million tonnes by 2040. It also pledges 15 trillion yen ($107 billion) in funding from both private and public sources to build up hydrogen-related supply chains over the next 15 years.

Japan’s decarbonisation strategy centres on using so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to bridge its transition to renewable energy. So far, Japan is relying on hydrogen mainly produced using fossil fuels.

Some experts say strategies like commercialising the use of hydrogen and ammonia mainly cater to big business interests and major industries that are heavily invested in fossil fuel-based technologies and have power over the government policies.

The revised plan prioritises nine strategic areas, including development of water electrolysis equipment, fuel storage batteries and large-size tankers for transporting hydrogen.

“Hydrogen is an industrial sector that can make a triple achievement of decarbonisation, stable energy supply and economic growth in one shot,”

Hydrogen is an industrial sector that can make a triple achievement of decarbonisation, stable energy supply and economic growth in one shot

— Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

“We will promote (hydrogen) on a large scale, both demand and supply.”

At a hydrogen council meeting last week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan aims to achieve an “Asian zero-emission community”, contributing Japanese technology in hydrogen, ammonia and other decarbonisation technologies.