New hydrogen fuel appliance coming to Japan

New hydrogen fuel appliance coming to Japan

April 4, 2018 0 By Tami Hood

US and Japan team to provide homeowners with one of the world’s first hydrogen fuel appliances

The United States Department of Energy and the Japanese New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization have announced a new collaborative effort focused on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The collaboration aims to accelerate research and development efforts, with both organizations sharing the data they have collected concerning fuel cells and their safety. Per the collaboration, the Department of Energy’s Fuel Cell and Technologies Office has rewarded $1 million to SimpleFuel, which will be exporting one of the first hydrogen refueling appliances to Japan.

Appliance will be able to fuel vehicles in 15 minutes or less

The new appliance from SimpleFuel is meant to be used by homeowners with fuel cell vehicles. The company has developed a relatively small-scale appliance that is capable of fueling vehicles in approximately 15 minutes at 700 bar pressures. The appliance is designed to be as small as possible in order to minimize its physical footprint. Japanese homeowners that have interest in fuel cell vehicles could show a great deal of support for the new appliance as it will allow them to fuel their cars more conveniently.

Fuel cells continue to gain momentum in Japan

Fuel cells are becoming very popular in Japan, largely due to the government’s insistence on establishing a hydrogen society. Many households throughout Japan derive at least a portion of their electricity and heat from fuel cell systems currently. Vehicles equipped with fuel cell systems are also becoming very popular throughout the country. The demand for reliable access to hydrogen has been growing as a result.

Government hopes new appliance will help accelerate adoption of fuel cell vehicles

Providing consumers with a way to fuel their vehicles at home could help accelerate the growth of clean transportation in Japan. Some homes are already equipped with charging stations for battery electric vehicles. The Japanese government has been eager to form partnerships with foreign organizations to incorporate new technology that could have a profound impact on the clean transportation space as a whole.

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