The Japanese government said on Tuesday it plans to increase annual hydrogen supply in the country to some 12 million tons by 2040, which is about six times the current level, as part of its efforts to achieve a decarbonized society.
A new policy draft was presented at a meeting a of relevant Cabinet ministers earlier in the day, with an eye to revise the Basic Hydrogen Strategy, drawn up in 2017, by the end of May.
The government also plans to invest a total of JPY 15 trillion (USD 113 billion) over the next 15 years in public-private partnerships to develop a large-scale hydrogen supply chain for the practical use of hydrogen power generation by around 2030, according to the draft.
“We will revise the Basic Hydrogen Strategy, which we formulated as a national strategy ahead of the world, by the end of May. We need to respond to the fierce international competition in the fields of renewable energy and hydrogen while advancing decarburization in Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at the meeting, urging the ministers to take specific actions.
Kishida also emphasized that Japan intends to promote support for the construction of international supply chains in collaboration with the Middle East, Australia and Asia.
Hydrogen, which does not emit carbon dioxide during combustion, is expected to be a next-generation energy source.
Source: Kuwait News Agency