Panasonic will begin selling zero-emission pure hydrogen fuel cell generators in China from April, as reported by Nikkei Asia on February 26. Panasonic introduced this type of fuel cell in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics to demonstrate Japan’s efforts of creating a hydrogen society. Pure hydrogen fuel cell emits no carbon dioxide and can reduce the emissions for industries that have difficulty using renewable energy. At present, the Japanese companies operates three zero-carbon factories in China, where it uses hydrogen-powered fuel cell systems to provide electricity and heat.

Panasonic aims to achieve virtually net-zero CO2 emissions across all its operations by 2030, and to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 300 million tons, or about 1% of the current global total of 33 billion tons, by 2050. Tetsuro Homma, the regional head for China and Northeast Asia at Panasonic, emphasized that the company’s activities in China are essential to achieving its 2050 emission reduction target. About 100 companies in China are engaged in hydrogen fuel cell businesses, with most of them focused on automotive fuel cells. Panasonic distinguishes itself by producing stand-alone types for homes or businesses, providing them with an additional method for reducing their carbon footprints beyond solar panels. This move is also aligned with China’s efforts to boost hydrogen utilization. According to China’s Hydrogen Industry Development Plan (2021-2035), the country aims to produce 100,000 to 200,000 tons of green hydrogen using renewable energy by 2025, maintaining its position as the world’s largest hydrogen manufacturer.

Sources:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy/Panasonic-to-sell-pure-hydrogen-fuel-cell-generators-in-China

https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202205/06/WS627472d9a310fd2b29e5aeec.html

https://www.hydrogenfwd.org/2020-tokyo-olympics-showcasing-hydrogens-potential-to-the-world/

https://china.kyodonews.net/news/2023/02/fdb71d9b77b0-4.htmlhttps://www.iea.org/policies/16977-hydrogen-industry-development-plan-2021-2035