We Are Tomodachi Spring / Summer 2017

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7Fuel cellvehiclesBiomassNatural energyBy-products fromsteel mills,chemical plants,etc.Fossil fuels(oil, natural gas, etc.)Trains, urban transportationOfcesHomesFuel cellsHydrogenH2H2HO2HO2O2HeatElectricity1. Hydrogen can be produced using a variety of energy sources, including fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, modification of methanol and methane gas from biomass, and electrolysis of water with wind and solar power. It thus can provide a steady supply of energy. 2. Electricity and heat are generated when hydrogen and oxygen combine to become water. 3. Technology for the mass culture of Euglena, tiny algae that can be used for biofuel, has been established in Japan. One way of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released in the process of making hydrogen is by using algae and other photosynthetic plants to absorb it. Unlike other plants used to produce biofuel, the mass culture of Euglena does not require large areas of land. Oil can be extracted from mass-cultured Euglena and used as a biofuel.4. Since March 2017 Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been operating two commercially sold fuel-cell buses on regular routes. 5. “Ene-Farm” was put on the market in Japan in 2009 as the world’s first fuel cell for home use. Being small and capable of producing hydrogen, it can be used to generate power for a single home. This results in improved efficiency, since the electricity does not need to be transmitted from a power station. (Note: The photo is illustrative, it does not show an actual installation.)©Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.Takao KashiwagiDistinguished Professor and Emeritus Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology; Director, International Research Center of Advanced Energy Systems for Sustainability. A leading figure in the fields of the environment and energy, who has been deeply involved in Japan’s energy policies for many years. Has served as head of the working group on new energy sources in the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy and in many other capacities, such as the chairman of the Japan Institute of Energy and a member of the Science Council of Japan. 12345