Japan's Fuel Cell Valley on cutting edge of energy storage
Its Yamanashi project uses flywheels, solar panels and hydrogen for clean fuel
Tokyo
A PATCH of land in the shadow of Mount Fuji is becoming a testing ground for energy storage, with some of Japan's leading companies trying to develop technologies such as spinning flywheels and fuel cells. The government of Yamanashi, a prefecture 102 kilometres west of Tokyo, is hoping that by attracting companies such as Panasonic Corp and Toray Industries Inc it can become a kind of Silicon Valley for energy storage development.
As part of a project in Kofu City, the prefecture has built a 1-megawatt solar power station that's being made available to developers of storage devices who want to run tests under closed conditions, according to Masaki Sakamoto, an official in charge of the project.
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