KIX to Introduce Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Service - Reducing Environmental Impact and Building a More Sustainable Future

Kansai Airports and Nankai Bus today announced that they will introduce a fuel cell bus^*1 that is powered by hydrogen at Kansai International Airport (KIX) in March 2022.  

With the help of Osaka Prefecture’s subsidy program^*2 for promoting the use of fuel cell buses and a contribution from five consolidated subsidiaries of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.^*3, Nankai Bus will operate a fuel cell bus at KIX while Kansai Airports, which has been promoting efforts for expanding the use of hydrogen at the airport, will cover part of the costs.  

In the runup to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, hydrogen is expected to attract more attention as a next-generation energy. And this will be the first time that fuel cell bus service is available in Osaka.

 Having set the long-term goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Kansai Airports Group has been taking a range of initiatives to reduce its environmental impact, such as using renewable energy and hydrogen. The company will continue to promote these efforts in cooperation with airport stakeholders and remain committed to contributing to a sustainable future. 

*1: A fuel cell bus is a bus that is powered by a motor with electricity generated by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen in the air. It does not emit CO2 or substances that are harmful to the environment when driving.

*2: Osaka Prefecture’s subsidy program for promoting the introduction of fuel cell buses in fiscal 2021

*3: MUFG Bank, Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS Co., Ltd., ACOM CO., LTD. 

• Launch: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 
• Routes: Bus routes at KIX, including the one between Terminal 1 and Observation Hall