Toyota Motor Corporation and ENEOS Corporation have announced a new collaboration to investigate the use and application of hydrogen energy at Woven City, a prototype city of the future that Toyota is developing in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
In and around Woven City, ENEOS and Toyota, in collaboration with Woven Planet Holdings (Woven Planet), a Toyota subsidiary, will perform testing and demonstrations in areas related to a hydrogen-based supply chain, from manufacturing to distribution to use of hydrogen. They hope to contribute to the achievement of a carbon-neutral society by 2050, as Japan and several other countries have pledged.
ENEOS is a market leader in the hydrogen industry, with 45 commercial hydrogen refueling stations across Japan’s four major cities. ENEOS is designing technologies to encourage hydrogen production and creating an entire supply chain focused on CO2-free hydrogen in anticipation of a fully hydrogen mass-consumption society and to promote overall low-carbon energy usage.
Toyota has invested in hydrogen and fuel cell technology and its popularization through efforts to apply the technology in various mobility, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles (e.g. forklifts), trains, and ships, as well as stationary generators, positioning hydrogen as one of the most viable renewable energy sources in the future.
The goal of this project is to create a world where people can live happy, safe, and long lives. The companies are leveraging each other’s skills and experience to completely explore hydrogen’s potential through this collaboration. They hope to foster carbon neutrality in daily mobility, people’s lives, and the city’s infrastructure, as well as raise awareness of hydrogen among residents and tourists, at Woven City.
Woven Planet is in charge of the Woven City planning with Toyota, and the companies will investigate the following four areas through this unprecedented partnership.
ENEOS is planning to construct and run a hydrogen refueling station near Woven City.
ENEOS will generate “green hydrogen” (hydrogen derived from renewable energy) at the aforementioned station, and Toyota will supply Woven City with stationary fuel cell generators.
Encourage the use of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles for logistics in Woven City and the surrounding area. Create a supply and demand management framework and validate a base unit* of hydrogen demand for such mobility logistics.
Conduct collaborative advanced research on hydrogen supply inside Woven City’s demonstration center.
“We strongly support Toyota’s bold vision for demonstrating technologies of the future through Woven City and are delighted to participate in the project. We believe that hydrogen energy will play an integral role in the realization of carbon neutrality on a global scale and that Toyota is at the forefront of developing a fully hydrogen-based society. By working together with Toyota to fully explore hydrogen’s potential, we believe we can make a significant contribution to the creation of new hydrogen-based lifestyles. I sincerely hope that by demonstrating Woven City’s approach across the globe, we can accelerate our progress toward a new, more sustainable energy future.”
Katsuyuki Ota, president of ENEOS
“We are very pleased to have ENEOS as our core partner to validate the hydrogen society in Woven City. As Japan’s leading integrated energy company, ENEOS has demonstrated its valuable expertise in all vital processes from hydrogen production to sales and we are confident they have the holistic perspective we require for success. To realize a hydrogen-based society, in addition to the evolution of individual technologies, it is essential to seamlessly integrate all the processes of production, delivery, and use. We will continue to work with ENEOS and the local community to develop the base unit of hydrogen throughout Japan and around the world. Our “Human-Centered approach” to the real world of Woven City will help us fully explore the practical details of hydrogen-based lifestyles and technologies.”
Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation
