Akihabara (Tokyo) — The Japanese government is doubling down on its commitment to hydrogen energy in spite of the many questions which linger over its ability to meet the nation’s climate goals.
“Hydrogen is an industry which can simultaneously provide achievements in decarbonization, the securing of stable energy supplies, and the advancement of economic growth,” declared Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
For this purpose, the Kishida administration revised its Basic Hydrogen Strategy. Among other things, the government aims to see Japan’s hydrogen fuel consumption expand by over six times in the coming decades.
It also pledged ¥15 trillion (US$108 billion) of public-private funding to hydrogen supply chains over the next fifteen years.
Not all observers believe that hydrogen should be such a central focus of Japan’s decarbonization strategy.
While hydrogen fuel produces only water when it is combusted, the process of making and transporting the hydrogen itself can involve large-scale carbon emissions.
Green hydrogen–which produces the fuel without contributing to the climate crisis–does exist, but it represents only a tiny fraction of current hydrogen fuel production, and its growth is expected to be slow.
Many suspect that the Japanese government’s continuing attraction to its vision of a “hydrogen society” mainly derives from the influence of big business over policymaking. Large corporations stand to gain considerable profits whether or not the hydrogen industry significantly contributes to overall decarbonization.
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