Utilizing Fukushima clean hydrogen in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, plants, automobiles, drones and other technologies.
On March 7 (Sat.), 2020, an opening ceremony of the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) was held, bringing together Mr. Abe Shinzo, Prime Minister, and Mr. Kajiyama Hiroshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, among other participants. FH2R is the world’s largest-class facility for producing hydrogen from renewable energy.
Prime Minister Abe, who came to the site of the ceremony by driving a fuel cell vehicle, a next-generation vehicle under development, delivered a speech and stated that Japan will make use of hydrogen produced in FH2R for the Olympic relay torches and other proceedings in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and that it will also utilize such Fukushima clean hydrogen in plants, buses, trucks and other automobiles, drones and other technologies.
Overview:
Date: March 7 (Sat.), 2020
Venue: Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R), Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture
Organizers: The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and businesses concerned
Participants: Prime Minister Abe; METI Minister Kajiyama; Mr. Tanaka Kazunori, Minister for Reconstruction; Mr. Uchibori Masao, Governor of Fukushima Prefecture; Mr. Yoshida Kazuhiro, Mayor of Namie Town; Mr. Ishizuka Hiroaki, Chairman, NEDO; Mr. Tsunakawa Satoshi, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toshiba Corporation; Mr. Harada Hiroya, Representative Director and President, Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.; and Mr. Makino Akiji, Chairman and CEO, Iwatani Corporation, and others
Note: The ceremony was held at a smaller scale than originally planned, taking measures against the novel coronavirus disease to prevent participants from being infected.
Details of the ceremony:
Following the speeches by the representatives of the organizers and businesses concerned, Prime Minister Abe, who came to the site by driving a fuel cell vehicle, a next-generation vehicle under development, delivered a speech and stated that Japan will make use of hydrogen produced in FH2R in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games as fuel for the fire of the relay torches, fuel cells used in the Olympic/Paralympic Villages, and fuel cell vehicles and buses used during the event. He also expressed that [i] placing the facility as the world’s largest-class innovation base, Japan will utilize clean hydrogen produced in Fukushima as energy supplied to plants and fuel for various vehicles including buses and trucks, [ii] it will embark on commercialization of hydrogen drones taking advantage of the Fukushima Robot Test Field and [iii] it will cultivate a new era of hydrogen through these efforts.
Following this, as an event to celebrate the opening of the facility, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, bringing together Prime Minister Abe, Minister Kajiyama, Minister Tanaka and the representatives of the participating businesses and other organizations.
Full text of the speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:
I hereby offer my heartiest congratulations on the completion of the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field.
As the world’s largest facility for producing hydrogen from renewable energy, FH2R has finally embarked on its operation. The annual amount of clean hydrogen produced here is 200 tons with no carbon dioxide emitted. Over a half of the total hydrogen annually used by all fuel cell vehicles can be supplied by this facility alone. Fukushima Prefecture, a region severely affected by the nuclear power station accidents, is now about to turn a new page toward a hydrogen society in the future. The Fukushima Plan for a New Energy Society policy will go into full-fledged motion.
On March 26, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic relay torches will start from here, in Fukushima. The hydrogen, the fuel for lighting such torches, will be produced at this site. Also, during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, hydrogen-fueled vehicles and buses will run across Tokyo and hydrogen-based electricity will be used in the Olympic/Paralympic Villages.
In the year of 2020 and toward the future beyond 2020, Japan will strive to achieve a hydrogen society in a single burst. To this end, I believe that FH2R will work as the world’s largest-class innovation base.
Last year, I attended a Davos Meeting in Switzerland and upheld, before people worldwide, Japan’s ambitious goals of decreasing the current hydrogen manufacturing cost to one-tenth or less by 2050 and providing hydrogen less expensive than natural gas. A stage for taking on this dynamic challenge is here, Fukushima. I have a firm resolution to make a great change, together with all of you, in the conventional energy frameworks all over the world. Fukushima clean hydrogen will become a source of energy for operating manufacturing floors in plants and fuel for various vehicles including buses and trucks. The Robot Test Field built in the Hamadori area is expected to become a place over which hydrogen drones fly around. Let’s work together and cultivate a new era of hydrogen to accomplish these goals.
Finally, I express my heartiest respect to all the people concerned for their efforts for opening this world’s-leading research field and wish for your continued success and prosperity. Again, I offer sincere congratulations on the completion of this facility today.
