The Basic Hydrogen Strategy was revised, adding new targets and highlighting the importance of international expansion.

In essence, the 2023 Hydrogen Strategy has four goals: First, to increase the supply of hydrogen and ammonia in Japan from 2 million tons to 3 million tons by 2030, then to 12 million tons by 2040, and reaching 20 million tons by 2050. Second, the strategy seeks to reduce hydrogen supply costs in Japan from 100 Japanese yen per normal cubic meter (Nm3) to 30 yen per Nm3 by 2030 and to 20 yen per Nm3 by 2050. Third, the strategy seeks to expand the amount of water electrolysis equipment made by Japanese companies to approximately 15 GW by 2030 on a global scale. And finally, the strategy aims to attract public and private investments into the hydrogen and ammonia supply chain sector, setting a goal of more than 15 trillion yen ($107.5 billion) over the next 15 years.

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Decarbonization in Japan will require more than ¥150 trillion in public and private GX investment over the next 10 years.

This includes several sectors such as energy, manufacturing, transportation, and lifestyle. In the energy sector, hydrogen is valued at about 7 trillion yen, or more than 9.4 trillion yen including synthetic methane and synthetic fuels. In the field of hydrogen, the Japanese government plans to provide support for Contract for Difference (3 trillion yen over 15 years) and investment in the development of hydrogen terminals as the investment promotion package.

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Belgium and Japan have taken important steps towards the development of a hydrogen economy.

Both countries have published comprehensive hydrogen strategies, are launching pilot projects, and are investing in new infrastructure. Belgium is positioning itself as a hydrogen import hub for Europe, backed by partnerships with third countries. Belgium and Japan could work together on hydrogen in several key areas, including industrial collaboration between companies, joint research and development, and regulatory cooperation through the EU-Japan MoU on hydrogen from 2022. Industrial and R&D partnerships are already emerging between Belgian and Japanese companies, with examples in electrolyzer technology, the shipping industry and technology for the heavy industry.

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Canada is contributing towards developing global supply chains for hydrogen and its derivatives and fostering collaboration with Japan on scaling up production.

In December, 2020, Canada released the Hydrogen Strategy which lays out a framework of actions involving hydrogen as a tool to achieve Canada’s goal of net–zero emissions by 2050 and position Canada as a global, industrial leader of clean renewable fuels. Japanese industry is showing great interest in potential ammonia exports from Western Canada, with over $30B in projects proposed by companies including ITOCHU, Mitsubishi, Marubeni, Kansai Electric Power and other Japanese proponents with Canadian partners. 

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Takasago Hydrogen Park is the world's first integrated hydrogen validation facility, which is located at MHI’s Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo Prefecture in west central Japan.

Takasago Hydrogen Park is divided into areas with three hydrogen-related functions: hydrogen production, storage, and utilization. Mitsubishi Power aims to improve product reliability through the validation of hydrogen co-firing and 100% hydrogen firing using gas turbines, while also implementing successive expansion with the introduction of next-generation hydrogen production technologies.

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India's ACME and Japanese heavy industry group IHI have signed an offtake term sheet to supply green ammonia from Odisha, India, to Japan.

On a “long-term basis”, 400,000 tons per year will be transported, with production anticipated from the first phase to begin in 2027. The announcement also indicates that the pair will work across the full ammonia value chain, including logistics. At full capacity, the Odisha project will have a capacity of up to 1.3 million tons per year of renewable ammonia.