Air Liquide collaborates with Itochu to scale up Japan hydrogen mobility markets
- Asia
- Mobility
- Clean mobility
- Usage
Air Liquide Japan and Itochu Corporation (Itochu) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of hydrogen mobility markets in Japan.
Air Liquide Japan and Itochu will initially focus on the development of the hydrogen retail infrastructure in Japan, both for passenger vehicles and for the new fleets of commercial vehicles (trucks, busses). The objective is to expand this retail infrastructure and develop a competitive hydrogen supply offer for passenger and commercial end-users, in collaboration with public authorities, allowing a rapid ramp-up of hydrogen mobility in Japan. The two companies will investigate more globally the opportunities to scale up the hydrogen supply chain in support of the Japan Government hydrogen roadmap.
This collaboration will leverage the expertise and technologies of Air Liquide across the hydrogen supply chain and the large footprint of Itochu Group across multiple energy sectors, from fuel retail business to renewable energy production plants.
This collaboration comes after the recent announcement by the Japanese Government of the Green Society plan, to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, in which hydrogen is anticipated to take a key role. Under this plan, the Japanese government will ban the sales of vehicles which completely run on fossil fuels after 2035, pushing for the transportation sector to make a shift toward battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles.
Air Liquide is one of the international major gas companies. It co-chairs the Hydrogen Council, and also has an established position as a global leader in promoting hydrogen utilization. Air Liquide Japan was established in 1907 in Japan, and supplies industrial gas and related equipment, while providing its services to various industries.
François Abrial, Member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee supervising Asia Pacific, said:
“The fight against climate change is at the heart of Air Liquide 's strategy. Hydrogen is projected to play a key role in supporting energy transition and the emergence of a carbon-neutral society. With this collaboration, we seek to jointly accelerate the development of Hydrogen mobility markets in Japan, leveraging our complementary technology portfolios and know-how across the entire hydrogen value chain. ”
In the past 50 years, Air Liquide has developed unique expertise enabling it to master the entire hydrogen supply chain, from production and storage to distribution and the development of applications for end users, thus contributing to the widespread use of hydrogen as a clean energy source, for mobility in particular. Air Liquide has designed and installed more than 120 stations around the world to date. Hydrogen is an alternative to meet the challenge of clean transportation and thus contributes to the improvement of air quality. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen in the air to produce electricity, emitting only water. It does not generate any pollution at the point of use: zero greenhouse gases, zero particles and zero noise. Hydrogen provides a concrete response to the challenges posed by sustainable mobility and local pollution in urban areas.
Air Liquide Japan
Air Liquide Japan (“ALJ”) was established in 1907, and has been contributing to the development of Japanese industries for over 100 years. Supported by a highly-skilled workforce of 2,000 employees, ALJ supplies nitrogen and oxygen to companies in electronics and other industrial fields, collaborating with our clients in problem solving and joint research. ALJ plays a crucial role in supporting both the hospitals and home healthcare, and is a leader in developing and providing new medical treatment devices and solutions using IoT. Air Liquide Group has developed the hydrogen supply chain, and has installed more than 120 hydrogen stations around the world. Leveraging this expertise and know-how, ALJ has also developed the hydrogen infrastructure in Japan, constructing 13 stations since 2015. In addition to building stations in Japan, ALJ’s goal is to become a leading company that encompasses the entire hydrogen energy value chain in Japan, in line with its objective to provide innovative solutions with our industry-leading innovations and technologies at its core.