Iwatani completed “Iwatani H2 Station Kofu” as its 16th location in the premises of Yamanashi Kotsu Limited at Iida of Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture and held an opening ceremony there on February 22 for a scheduled start of operation from the next day.

The station adopts an off-site system by liquefied hydrogen of which fuel of crude hydrogen is supplied by tank trucks from Iwatani Industrial Gases Chiba Plant located in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture. The site has an approximate area of 500m2. The main components include LH2 tank to store 2400ℓ to fill about 300 cars (FCV), evaporator, “Ionic Compressor” using German Linde’s original compression technology developed for H2 stations and 3 high-pressure 300ℓ accumulators (3-bank switch system at 82MPa). The filling capacity is 300Nm3 per hour (to fill 6 cars per hour –about 5kg) taking about 3 minutes to fill one car.

The ionic compressor consisting of H2 dispenser at a filling pressure of 70MPa is characteristic in that it has attained downsizing of a substantial scale represented by the 4m-wide package system for filling as well as the higher durability and compression with more energy-saving effect than the conventional piston-compression technology, taking advantage of the non-volatile and lubricating properties of ionic liquid. It has a function to raise the pressure of H2 gas evaporated at 0.6MPa up to 82MPa.

Making good use of Yamanashi University’s personnel network as well as the academic achievement (Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center) which is highly evaluated over the world as to the research and development on fuel cell, Yamanashi Prefecture has been positively promoting activities in an industry/academia/government cooperation with the core of “Yamanashi Practical Fuel Cell Promotion Meeting” established in 2009. The prefecture intends to not only promote commercialization of fuel cells, but also fosters the industries related to mechanical components and parts in the prefecture aiming to establish something like “Fuel Cell Valley” as the integrated zone of research and industries.

In July of the year before last, responding to the announcement of the major automobile manufacturers to launch FCV into the domestic market in 2015, the prefecture made out its plan titled “Yamanashi FCV Promotion Plan” showing prefecture’s FCV diffusing measures and target for 5 years ahead, which clearly states a plan to purchase 800 FCVs and 10 FC buses to be introduced from 2015 to 2025 and support the development of H2 stations. Basing upon the plan, the prefecture has already introduced 3 FCVs of Toyota’s MIRAI for its official use, and it established a meeting named “Yamanashi FC Industrialization Promotion Meeting” to enhance the policy and plans of fuel cells on February 2 of this year.