Smart Traffic Applications in Japan

SFC’s EFOY Pro fuel cells are used in smart traffic applications in Japan. These are semi-stationary LED traffic guidance systems that can be used flexibly.

With its fuel cell technology, SFC Energy ensures a reliable power supply for the plants, as it is often not possible to connect them to the conventional power grid. Fuel cell technology is thus once again contributing to the sustainable solution of several challenges at the same time.

Congestion is a regular occurrence in metropolitan and urban areas. This not only affects people’s quality of life, but is also an immense cost factor for the global economy. More crucially, the environment suffers due to the increased CO2 emissions of stationary vehicles. Intelligent control technology reduces unnecessary downtime and thus pollutant emissions. At the same time, it increases safety in road traffic.

Occupational safety naturally also plays an important role for the specialist personnel involved in the installation and maintenance of the systems. The advantage becomes even more obvious during service work on the systems. A laborious and dangerous exchange of the heavy batteries during moving traffic is no longer necessary. Now, only the nine-kilogram M10 fuel cartridge needs to be replaced at longer service intervals than with the previous solution. Thus, the use of the EFOY Pro fuel cell in traffic control systems raises workplace safety to a new level and saves time and weight.

Another advantage of the EFOY Pro fuel cell is its high charging capacity. In combination with an M10 fuel cartridge it comes to 830 ampere hours (Ah). The hybrid solution used so far, consisting of a solar panel and two batteries, has a total capacity of 520 Ah, of which only 260 Ah can be used. It should be noted that a permanent energy supply could not be guaranteed by the use of the solar panel.

EFOY Pro fuel cells are powerful, low-maintenance and low-wear, while operating extremely quietly and with virtually no emissions. At the same time, its components are 95 percent recyclable.

“If we want to rethink mobility, the discussion must not be limited exclusively to drive systems. Mobility has many facets. We will lead sustainable concepts to success by first creating the infrastructure. In the future, this will include both the nationwide 5G mobile communications standard as the basis for autonomous driving and smart traffic control technology for shorter idle times. Once again, the fuel cell is proving its worth as a key technology for a sustainable energy supply that truly benefits everyone. We are therefore very pleased to be able to demonstrate with our Japanese partner just how much potential our EFOY fuel cells have. We want to build on this great success and drive the culture of innovation with green technology”, says Dr. Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy AG.

“[…] Just like SFC Energy, Toyota Tsusho Corporation is focused on green technologies. The Order is a big step towards expanding our smart traffic control technology business. In this way, we will further contribute to a carbon-free society,” says Futoshi Horisaki, COO of Toyota Tsusho Corporation Global Parts and Logistics Divisions.