One of Japan's largest hydrogen filling stations for fuel cell vehicles opened Wednesday at the former site of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics main athletes village, the metropolitan government said.

Major oil distributor Eneos Corp. will operate the station and produce hydrogen in line with a Tokyo government plan for the site, with the amount of hydrogen supplied equivalent to that required to operate around 40 fuel cell buses for a day.

Hydrogen will also be supplied to a district of Harumi in Chuo Ward through an underground pipeline, the first time in Japan the gas will be piped into a specific area and added to a residential energy mix, according to the metropolitan government.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike (sixth from R) attends the opening ceremony of one of Japan's largest hydrogen filling stations in the capital's Chuo Ward on March 27, 2024. (Kyodo)

Hydrogen will be used to generate electricity via fuel cells located in the former athletes village that has been converted into residential high-rise apartments.

The electricity will then be used for lighting and elevators in the condominiums and commercial facilities.

The move is part of an effort by the metropolitan government to expand the use of hydrogen, as it has set a goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 compared with the 2000 level.


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