Japanese refiner Eneos has started additional domestic hydrogen sales for fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs), with electricity for its green hydrogen production sourced from solar and biomass power generation.
The company is selling the green hydrogen at its retail outlet in Yokohama city for FCVs at ¥1,210/kg ($11/kg), mixed with LPG-origin hydrogen. The green hydrogen is produced using electricity generated from solar panels at the station and from the company's 74.9MW Muroran biomass power plant in Hokkaido.
Eneos first started to produce hydrogen from LPG in March 2016 at its hydrogen production delivery centre next to the company's 270,000 b/d Negishi refinery, supporting the government's target to boost FCV units in Japan to 200,000 by 2025 and to 800,000 by 2030.
Eneos is also providing solar power-derived green hydrogen for FCVs at another hydrogen station in Tokyo. The company last month signed a contract with a local government Yamanashi prefecture to receive 600Nm³ of the hydrogen during July and September.
The government is planning to increase the number of hydrogen refuelling stations to 320 by 2025 and to 900 by 2030. Eneos was operating 46 domestic hydrogen stations as of June, or 30pc of the country's total.
