The Japanese government is targeting to ban the sales of new gasoline-only cars and shift to passenger electric vehicles (EVs) by the mid-2030s as part of an action plan to achieve its 2050 decarbonisation goal.
The proposed EV shift is part of Tokyo's "green growth strategy", which was formally released on 25 December. The strategy aims to provide prospective 14 industries with tax incentives and financial support to aggressively work towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and generating ¥190 trillion ($1.8 trillion) in green growth. The identified 14 areas include car manufacturing, shipping, nuclear, offshore wind power, ammonia fuel and hydrogen.
Under the growth strategy, Japan aims to sell only EVs, including hybrid and fuel-cell EVs, by the mid-2030s. The government is also seeking to ensure carbon neutrality over the entire lifecycle of a car by 2050. The country previously targeted to sell only EVs by 2050. Discussions are expected to continue until mid-2021 on possibly transitioning commercial vehicles to electric.
The government also plans to continue backing Japanese shipbuilders in the development of commercial vessels fuelled by LNG, hydrogen and ammonia while seeking carbon neutrality in ocean-borne transportation.
Details of goals and measures are expected to be included in a revised green growth strategy that will be drawn up in spring next year.
The government said it will continue efforts to maximise output of renewable power to reach its 2050 goal, which cannot be achieved without decarbonisation of the power sector. It has committed to develop 10GW of offshore wind power capacity by 2030 and up to 45GW by 2040.
Meti has launched discussions on the country's 2050 power fuel mix based on a draft proposal to have 50-60pc of total power output from renewable sources, followed by 30-40pc from nuclear and thermal fuels combined with carbon capture and storage. The 2050 power mix is expected to be formalised as part of the country's basic energy policy that is due for revision next year.
Hydrogen is also provisionally proposed to account for 10pc of the country's 2050 power output under the strategy. The government targets to boost hydrogen consumption to 20mn t in 2050 compared with 200t in 2017 as the market is set to grow on use of the fuel in power generation units and for transport, as well as for steelmaking and in electrolyzers.
