Japan has decided to make a plan for using sewage disposal facilities operated by local governments as stations to provide hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will develop technologies to produce methane gas at low costs from sewage sludge. From methane, hydrogen fuel for those vehicles can be produced.
The ministry will cooperate with private-sector companies to develop such technologies by fiscal 2008. The ministry will then aim to establish a system to use sewage disposal facilities as hydrogen stations. In preparation for a widespread use of fuel cells as power sources at households, the ministry will also consider a plan to transport hydrogen via sewerage pipes to homes.
