ENEOS Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation have agreed on a new partnership to explore the application of hydrogen energy at Woven City, the prototype city of the future that Toyota has started to develop in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. ENEOS and Toyota, together with Woven Planet Holdings (Woven Planet), a subsidiary of Toyota, intend to conduct testing and demonstration in areas related to a hydrogen-based supply chain, from production, delivery to usage of hydrogen.
ENEOS will produce ‘green hydrogen’, hydrogen derived from renewable energy, and distribute it at a refuelling station in close proximity to Woven City. It will also supply Woven City using stationary fuel cell generators to be installed within the city by Toyota.
Through this effort, they aim to help achieve a carbon-neutral society by 2050 as Japan and many other countries around the world have committed.
ENEOS is a leading company in the hydrogen business, operating 45 commercial hydrogen refuelling stations in the four major metropolitan areas in Japan.
Katsuyuki Ota, president of ENEOS, says: “We strongly support Toyota’s bold vision for demonstrating technologies of the future through Woven City and are delighted to participate in the project. We believe that hydrogen energy will play an integral role in the realization of carbon neutrality on a global scale and that Toyota is at the forefront of developing a fully hydrogen-based society. By working together with Toyota to fully explore hydrogen’s potential, we believe we can make a significant contribution to the creation of new hydrogen-based lifestyles. I sincerely hope that by demonstrating Woven City’s approach across the globe, we can accelerate our progress toward a new, more sustainable energy future.”
Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, adds: “We are very pleased to have ENEOS as our core partner to validate the hydrogen society in Woven City. As Japan’s leading integrated energy company, ENEOS has demonstrated its valuable expertise in all vital processes from hydrogen production to sales and we are confident they have the holistic perspective we require for success. To realize a hydrogen-based society, in addition to the evolution of individual technologies, it is essential to seamlessly integrate all the processes of production, delivery, and use. We will continue to work with ENEOS and the local community to develop the base unit of hydrogen throughout Japan and around the world. Our “Human-Centered approach” to the real world of Woven City will help us fully explore the practical details of hydrogen-based lifestyles and technologies.”
Starting in January 2021, Woven Planet Group is an expansion of the operations of Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development, dedicated to bringing its vision, “Mobility to Love, Safety to Live” to life. Its four companies, Woven Planet Holdings, Woven Core, Woven Alpha, and Woven Capital are aiming to transform how people live, work, and move through new innovations and investment in automated driving, robotics, smart cities, and more.
