Toyota Motor Corporation will work with Masdar, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Air Liquide, and Toyota distributor Al-Futtaim Motors in a joint research program to study the potential of hydrogen energy use in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the creation of a low-carbon society.
As part of the program, Toyota will begin driving and refueling demonstration tests of the Mirai fuel cell vehicle in the UAE in May of 2017. Toyota is currently selling the hydrogen-fueled zero emissions Mirai FCV that only emits water in Japan, the United States and Europe.
The agreement was announced yesterday at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) held at the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi. The program partners will jointly research on key issues in the establishment of a hydrogen-based society, including hydrogen production, logistics, scalability, and business feasibility. The research is expected to take place in part at Masdar Institute, an Abu Dhabi-based independent graduate research university, which has been part of the discussions on the scope of hydrogen research.
Using a hydrogen station that is to be built in May 2017, Toyota will conduct a complete range of driving and refueling tests under extreme heat, dust, and other conditions unique to the local environment. Toyota will also provide short-term leases to the UAE government institutions and opinion FCVs and hydrogen-based societies.
“The UAE has vast potential for the expansion of hydrogen production. The country has excess capacity at hydrogen production facilities located at oil refineries, and the ability to produce hydrogen as a byproduct at caustic soda and other factories, not to mention the production potential from mega solar power stations,” said Mr. Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of the Toyota Motor Corporation Board of Directors. He gave a speech at the Abu Dhabi Global Action Day at ADSW.
As a major oil-producing nation, the UAE is dependent on oil as its primary industry. The government is currently promoting a new national agenda called the UAE Vision 2021, which prioritizes air quality improvement, expansion of the use of clean energies, and to make the nation a world leader in infrastructure quality. This collaborative research program will explore the potential for hydrogen use in Masdar City. It’s is claimed to be a low carbon neighborhood in Abu Dhabi, which is built on the principles of sustainable design.
