Hydrogen Shines at Expo Osaka 2025: Clean Energy for a Shared Future
The Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, open from April 13 to October 13, has become a living stage for the world to present its vision of the future. Amid advances in robotics, biotechnology, and digital art, one silent yet powerful protagonist stands out across the pavilions and floating streets of Yumeshima Island: hydrogen.
From Sea to Sky: Smoke-Free Mobility
A symbol of this clean energy revolution is the Mahoroba, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered boat that transports visitors every day. Emitting no CO₂, no smoke, and no noise, it demonstrates that sustainable travel is already possible, and hints at how ports and maritime transport could transform in the decades ahead.
A City Powered by Hydrogen
Pavilions such as those of NTT and Panasonic present hydrogen in action—from green hydrogen production using renewable power, to storage, transport, and its final use in fuel cells powering lights, screens, and even small vehicles. Rather than a traditional exhibition, the Expo acts as a prototype of tomorrow’s hydrogen-enabled city.
Energy Born from Collaboration
Japan is leveraging the Expo to highlight hydrogen as a central pillar of its national energy strategy. Part of the event’s electricity comes from a turbine plant in Himeji, where hydrogen is blended with natural gas to reduce emissions. Cutting-edge technologies such as methanation, which transforms CO₂ into synthetic fuels, also feature prominently.
But Japan is not alone. Chile, showcasing its world-class solar and wind potential, dedicates its pavilion to demonstrating how nearly 70% of its electricity already comes from renewables and outlining its ambitions to export green hydrogen globally. Other countries—from the Nordics to Southeast Asia—also display their projects, underscoring that the clean energy transition is a shared challenge.
Hydrogen: A Bridge to Decarbonization
Beyond technical displays, the Expo’s message is clear: hydrogen is not a distant concept but a practical solution for climate action. It can move ships, power cities, transform waste into fuel, and provide alternatives where direct electrification remains difficult.
A Closing with Hope
When the Expo ends on October 13, visitors will leave with the sense of having experienced a glimpse of the future. Once seen only as a scientific experiment, hydrogen is emerging as the energy of tomorrow. Challenges remain in cost, infrastructure, and scale, but Expo Osaka 2025 demonstrates that the path toward a hydrogen society is already underway.
