Air Products (AP) and NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN Pipeline & Engineering Co. Ltd. (NSPE) recently announced that they have successfully constructed and placed onstream their first retail hydrogen fueling station in Tokyo, Japan. JX Nippon Oil & Energy, one of Japan’s largest developers of hydrogen fueling stations, contracted with NSPE to supply the station.

AP and NSPE signed an agreement in February 2014 to work together on Japan’s developing hydrogen fueling infrastructure market. Under this exclusive arrangement, the parties are currently constructing another station in Hokkaido, Japan, which will be onstream in September 2016.

The Tokyo location uses AP’ SmartFuel hydrogen fueling station technology and fueling protocol license. AP also provided infrastructure engineering and design, while NSPE provided engineering, construction, and adapted the technology for the Japanese market.

“We are pleased to continue collaborating with NSPE in the Japan market, where many more hydrogen fueling stations are already planned,” said Ed Kiczek, global business director – Hydrogen Energy Systems at AP.