Iwatani has constructed the first hydrogen refueling station for use at an airport in Japan at Kansai International Airport. It locates near Terminal 2 on Phase 2 Airport Island Reclamation. A completion ceremony was held on January 29, the station is named as the Iwatani Hydrogen Refueling Station in Kansai International Airport.

This station is part of the Smart Island Vision concept, which the New Kansai International Airport Company is promoting with the aim of creating an airport which takes the environment into consideration. The station was constructed on an area of 2,500 m3 offered to Iwatani by the airport. In February of last year, hydrogen supply equipment for forklifts was preceded before this filling station.

The station is an off-site type with a liquid hydrogen storage tank with a capacity of 24kl which was constructed along with the station. The hydrogen will be delivered by truck from the Hydro-Edge plant of the group in Sakai. The filling pressure is 70MPa, and the filling capacity is 300N m3 /h. The station is capable of filling 6 FCVs an hour. The compressor was produced by Linde in Germany, the pressure accumulator by Samtech, and the dispenser by Tatsuno. An open space was preserved on the station for holding special events, eminars and tours of the facility. The station will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. It will be closed on Sundays and national holidays. The hydrogen will go for 1,100 JPY per kg.

At the completion ceremony, standing at the podium, Iwatani Chairman Akiji Makino noted in his opening address, “This station is a large facility which can fill not only fuel cell vehicles but also fuel cell buses as well. For the near future we have a limousine bus service in sight between Kansai Airport and Osaka Airport. I would also like the station to be used for recognition of bringing about of the Hydrogen Society.”

Iwatani operates 13 commercial hydrogen stations nationwide. The company had announced that they set a goal of engage in operating 20 filling stations by March of this year. So it will be 7 more stations to go. In February they plans to open stations, one in Tokyo and one in Aichi Prefecture, this is a joint venture with 7 Eleven, with the stations adjacent to the convenience stores. Also a mobile H2 station is planned to operate near their Osaka corporate headquarters, in Honmachi.