Tokyo 2020 to use hydrogen to light Olympic cauldron and torch
Olympic Organisers to turn to zero CO2 fuel for cleaner, more sustainable Games
Hydrogen will fuel the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Cauldron and Torch to help stage a more sustainable Games, organisers said on Monday (27 January).
Hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide when burned. Sustainability is a core principle of the Organising Committee, which is also using 500 hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles in promoting a cleaner Games.
The hydrogen will be produced in a facility in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture - a disaster area of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Recovery is also a theme of Tokyo 2020.
The cauldron will be set up at the National Stadium during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
On other days during the 24 July-9 August Olympic Games and the 26 August-6 September Paralympic Games, the cauldron will be placed by Yume no Ohashi Bridge in Tokyo's waterfront area.
Using the latest combustion technology, a hydrogen-powered torch will be used during the Torch Relay through Fukushima and Aichi Prefecture as well as parts of Tokyo.