In March 2020, Toyota Motor Corporation, along with ten private companies promoting hydrogen use, established the "Chubu Hydrogen Utilization Council" to explore the potential for large-scale hydrogen deployment.

Hydrogen is positioned as a crucial future energy source to address the challenge of global warming by reducing CO2 emissions. The Japanese government has also formulated a "Basic Hydrogen Strategy" roadmap towards realizing a "hydrogen society," setting a near-term goal of establishing a large-scale hydrogen supply system capable of utilizing 300,000 tons of hydrogen annually by 2030.

To achieve this goal, societal implementation must begin by the mid-2020s, leading to the establishment of the cross-industry council in the Chubu region.

The participating members include Toyota Motor Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan, Iwatani Corporation, Chubu Electric Power, Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Chemical, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, JXTG Energy, and eight other companies. This initiative is reportedly the first of its kind in Japan, fostering cross-industry collaboration for comprehensive consideration.

Within the council, efforts will focus on examining the supply chain from hydrogen receiving bases in the Chubu region to demand-side applications, anticipating large-scale international hydrogen transport. They will also estimate the potential for hydrogen utilization across the entire Chubu region, including its use in mobility.

Furthermore, to realize the roadmap, industries will pursue technological development and cost reduction efforts, advancing this initiative through public-private collaboration.