Twelve years on from the Great East Japan Earthquake, Toyota Times follows Fukushima Prefecture's efforts to rebuild itself as a leading hydrogen city.
In this episode, Toyota Times News reports on Fukushima Prefecture’s latest efforts on the frontlines of producing and using hydrogen.
Since 2021, the prefecture and Toyota have been working together on public trials aimed at creating the cities of the future using hydrogen technology.
At the outset, then-President Akio Toyoda made the following comment during a visit to the town of Namie:
“We hope to play our part in trialing the use of green hydrogen.”
Two years on, Governor Masao Uchibori tells Toyota Times that “having endured a nuclear disaster, for Fukushima a hydrogen-energy future is now close at hand.” Watch the full video to see how Fukushima is bringing us closer to a future hydrogen society.
Yuta Tomikawa’s first stop was the Denso Fukushima plant, which in March unveiled a new water electrolyzer that produces hydrogen by, as the name suggests, electrolyzing water.
These devices are said to draw on technology from a certain Toyota model. Do the words water, electricity, and hydrogen ring any bells?
The path to decarbonization requires efforts to cut CO2 emissions from the production of clean energy, including hydrogen. Denso Fukushima will aim to become carbon-neutral by running its plants on the hydrogen energy produced with this new equipment.
Next, Tomikawa checked out a hydrogen-powered food truck scheduled to begin operation in April. Here, doing away with the need for conventional generators made a drastic difference.
After sampling the food truck’s dishes made with locally-grown ingredients, Tomikawa asked if there was meaning behind the “5924” license plate, and was surprised by the unusual response. Find the answer in the video.
The program also features hydrogen fuel cell trucks used for product delivery, which sixty companies in the prefecture plan to introduce into their fleets. At the same time, there have also been calls for improving some key areas of the trucks.
“Toyota Around the World” showcases the Dream Car Art Contest, introducing the judging process and drawings by children (aged 15 or younger) from around the world.