“In preparation for HySUT’s demonstration test of fuel cell bus inside Kansai International Airport started on October 28, Iwatani Corporation increased the volume of hydrogen up to about 200 m3 for supply to the Airport H2 Station (now an average of 50 m3 once a week).

HySUT (The Research Association of Hydrogen Supply Utilization Technology) has been carrying out demonstration tests of fuel cell bus in Haneda Airport since December 2010 and in Central Japan International Airport since April 2012. This test in Kansai International Airport is the third attempt in Japan and the first case in the Kansai District. The demonstration test starts in concert with the opening of “KIA Terminal 2 Building” on October 28. The bus shuttles a distance of about 5 kilometer between the building and Aeroplaza (Terminal 1), and is in service from 10 to 17 O’clock on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays for use free of charge. The operation diagram is under contemplation now, and the demonstration will last until March 20, 2014.

HySUT aims to use this demonstration test for PR activities so as to enhance opportunities for fuel cell vehicles in the Kansai District. The Kansai Airport Hydrogen Station is used for filling the fuel to drive the shuttle bus for demonstration.

The station was constructed in May 2007 and has been run by Iwatani as part of the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC) Project of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). At the present time, Hydro-Edge in Sakai City, which is the first liquid hydrogen plant in Japan operated by Iwatani and Kansai Electric Power, is supplying to the station about 50 m3 of hydrogen on average at a pace of once a week and filling the fuel cell vehicle for business use owned by the New Kansai International Airport.

It is planned to increase the current volume of supply up to around 200 m3 in order to secure an adequate volume of hydrogen to fill the fuel cell bus. Jun Miyazaki, executive officer and general manager of Iwatani’s technical and energy departments expressed his desire to take advantage of the test for an opportunity to utilize hydrogen in airports, saying, “An airport uses forklifts and towing vehicles at all times as well as shuttle buses. If their fuel for operation is replaced with the fuel cell method, an airport could be a major regular consumer of hydrogen.””