Panasonic has provided transit operator Osaka Metro with a combined hydrogen fuel cell and solar power system, underscoring the Japanese conglomerate’s growing focus on industrial hydrogen applications.
October 16, 2025
Brian Publicover
Panasonic Corp. said in a press release that its electric works division has delivered a combined pure hydrogen fuel cell and PV system to Osaka Metro’s Morinomiya Depot, in support of the transit operator’s carbon neutrality targets. The system was initially installed in September 2024 as part of a demonstration project, with Panasonic providing end-to-end delivery and installation.
The deployment links a 100 kW solar array with a 10 kW hydrogen fuel cell to the depot’s high-voltage substation, with dedicated monitoring and control system tracking generation and equipment operation. Panasonic said it has also implemented a proof-of-concept supervisory system combining PV monitoring and energy management tools, to facilitate remote oversight at Osaka Metro’s head offices and visualization at “e METRO MOBILITY TOWN,” its mobility-themed experience park.
Osaka Metro, which aims to reach carbon neutrality by fiscal 2050, attributes most of its emissions to electricity consumption, which is why it has made renewable power integration a key strategic imperative. It said the initiative will allow it to combine different renewable sources and gain more knowledge for the direct use of renewable electricity to power trains in the future.
The transport operator noted that it chose Panasonic’s hydrogen and solar energy solution after assessing several manufacturers and visiting Panasonic’s HX Kusatsu demonstration facility. The factory in Japan’s Shiga prefecture is entirely powered by renewable energy using solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, and lithium-ion batteries.
Masaru Hikosaka, head of solutions engineering in Panasonic’s electric works division, said in a statement that the modular design of the fuel cell system for Osaka Metro reduced installation time significantly, allowing the company to complete the project in 10 days instead of the average installation time of 30 days. The Japanese group has repurposed its residential fuel cell technologies for industrial use and is now expanding its hydrogen energy business throughout the world, including sites in the United Kingdom and Germany.
In September, Panasonic started testing a new energy management system that integrates solar, heat pumps, and batteries to expand self-consumption in pilot homes throughout the Tokyo area. The move follows the Osaka-based group’s departure from the residential solar and battery storage business earlier this year.
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