On April 4, the Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center started the 2nd public offering for “Subsidized Project of Hydrogen Supply Facilities for FC Vehicles in 2014” to grant subsidies to construct hydrogen stations. The deadline of application is April 25 and the result will be announced to the public sometime in the middle of May.

Although no detail on any targeted number of application has been disclosed, the FC Promotion Office, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of METI controlling the subsidized business seems to accelerate the construction of stations gradually in order to meet the expected start of general sales of FCV, with view to the “keen calls of the related industries for starting operation immediately after their construction.” The Office showed intention to keep backing the enterprises who announce themselves as candidates from now on, aiming to provide infrastructures for the targeted one hundred locations in 2015.

As reported in our preceding edition, as a result of the first offering, three business entities (Iwatani Corporation, Osaka Gas and Toho Gas) and six locations were granted for subsidies according to the Center’s public announcement on April 2, 2014.

Judging from the increased budget for subsidized business in 2014 by 2.61 billion yen from the previous year (4.59 billion yen) up to 7.2 billion, it is expected that more hydrogen stations than 19 locations subsidized in 2013 will be constructed this year.