Hydrogen Olympic Potential

Japan use Olympic platform to demonstrate hydrogen’s potential to decarbonise our planet.

For the first time, the Olympic torch is burning hydrogen at the Tokyo Olympics.

This is significant, because in the long build up to the Olympics Japan have always maintained that their efforts to decarbonise their economy will be as much in the spotlight as the games themselves.

The games coincide with the announcement of Japan’s largest hydrogen plant powered by offshore wind energy, which is set to open on the northern island of Hokkaido as part of a national effort to slash carbon dioxide emissions.

Since 2021 was dubbed ‘The Hydrogen Olympics’, Japan have been determined to display their zero-emission hydrogen technologies, and how they’ve deployed the clean energy source in a number of different ways.

Officials are being driven around in 500 cars and 100 buses made by Toyota and running on fuel cells. Portable power plants are being used that consume hydrogen and emit only water vapour. Also in use and very much on display is the Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei hotel, which gets energy from hydrogen sourced from waste plastics.

“Officials are being driven around in 500 cars and 100 buses made by Toyota and running on fuel cells“

It can only be seen as significant, that when the eyes of the world are on Japan (one the most technologically advanced nations on the planet), the thing other than the games themselves that they are most eager to show off, is hydrogen.