Air Liquide to build Japan’s first 24/7 hydrogen station

The project is a joint collaboration with the ITOCHU Corporation, set to be constructed in the Fukushima Prefecture and scheduled to be operational by 2024.

Air Liquide Japan and ITOCHU Corporation have announced a joint project to co-develop the first hydrogen refuelling station for large commercial vehicles that operates 24/7 the 365 days of the year. Construction is set to begin in the coming days in the city of Motomiya, Fukushima Prefecture, and is scheduled to be operational by the first half of 2024.

The initiative is part of a memorandum signed by Air Liquide, ITOCHU Corporation and ITOCHU ENEX in February of 2021 for the strategic collaboration on the development of a hydrogen value chain. The facility will serve large FC commercial vehicles and offer other amenities such as car wash and a rest area for drivers.

In addition, a demonstration project is taking place in Fukushima Prefecture to establish and implement energy management systems for the popularisation of electric vehicles. Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies is the company that leads this project and the new hydrogen refuelling station is set to supply the alternative fuel to some of the commercial vehicles operated by the firms that are taking part in this demonstration.

This project is in line with the hydrogen/fuel cell strategy roadmap established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan, which one of its goals is to open hydrogen refuelling stations in 320 locations by 2025.

All three companies will continue to work together to find new opportunities for hydrogen refuelling stations. Similar concepts are expected to be rolled out along with a highway to attract more large scale commercial vehicles to refuel at these sites.