Japan's "Hydrogen Society" Bid Falls Flat

Japan’s plan to expand its hydrogen market and slash greenhouse emissions has suffered delays and criticism over the fuel's green credentials and Tokyo’s performance has been subpar even as G7 climate ministers met in Sapporo, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Photo Insert: A residential fuel cell program called "Enefarm" was meant to equip 5.3 million Japanese homes by 2030.

In 2017, Japan became the first country to devise a national strategy for hydrogen power, aiming to drastically scale up its use by 2030.

The colorless, odorless gas is an exciting prospect on paper. It can be produced, stored, and transported in large quantities, and does not emit carbon dioxide when burned. These qualities are attractive to Japan, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, which Japanese automakers helped pioneer, were a key part of the original plan. The government had hoped for 40,000 of these cars to be on the road by 2020, and 800,000 by 2030.

But by the end of last year, just 7,700 units had been sold in the country since 2014. The reason? They are expensive. A residential fuel cell program called "Enefarm" was meant to equip 5.3 million Japanese homes by 2030.

It uses gas to create hydrogen that reacts with oxygen from the air to generate electricity and heat water.

But by the end of 2022, just 465,000 systems had been installed, far short of the government's target of 1.4 million by 2020. The complaint by consumers is that the system is expensive, too.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic