Japan to promote research into liquefying hydrogen

Japan’s government is set to promote research into technologies that would easily liquefy large amounts of hydrogen that can be transported and stored for use as fuel. The research will have universities and oil companies participating in the project, which is scheduled to start in fiscal year 2013, and will focus on practical technologies that can be made available by 2020. The ministries for trade and education hope to secure about ¥2 billion (US$ 25.2 million) in the fiscal 2013 budget for this project.
Hydrogen is most commonly produced through the electrolysis of water, and when burned as a fuel, hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide like fossil fuels do. Thus, hydrogen-based fuel is seen as the ultimate clean energy. However, hydrogen is a gas at room temperature, making it cumbersome to carry as a fuel; it is also explosive. (September 21, 2012)