Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to use hydrogen transported by a Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. ship from Australia for the company's hydrogen-powered cars as early as next year.
Hydrogen is expected to be an important energy source in the decarbonization drive.
Toyota intends to increase the number of companies cooperating in shipments and establish a low-cost and stable supply network.
Kawasaki Heavy plans to start demonstrations by the end of fiscal 2021 in which the firm will transport hydrogen produced from coal from an Australian mine to Japan via the world's first liquefied hydrogen carrier, dubbed Suiso Frontier.
Kawasaki Heavy said it will be able to transport 75 tons of liquefied hydrogen, enough for 15,000 fuel cell vehicles, by mass-producing and liquefying the fuel at low cost.
Toyota used hydrogen produced from Australian lignite to power its vehicle in a five-hour endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, that began on Saturday.
The carmaker shipped the fuel used in the race by air from Australia. Upon arrival in Japan, the fuel was transported to the venue via a hydrogen fuel cell truck. The company intends to improve production and transportation issues and the use of hydrogen through the harsh race conditions.
"It's difficult to realize a hydrogen society if the automobile industry is only on the side of users," Toyota President Akio Toyoda, who was one of the drivers in the race, said at a press conference Saturday. "It's necessary for everyone to work together to achieve carbon neutrality [or net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases]."
During the press conference, Kawasaki Heavy President Yasuhiko Hashimoto said, "The cycle of the hydrogen society will be completed only when suppliers and users work together."
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