Global Automotive Giant Toyota Expands Reach, Serving Pizza and Pastries Worldwide
Toyota and Rinnai Unveil World's First Hydrogen-Powered Stone Oven
In an innovative step towards a hydrogen society, Toyota and Rinnai have collaborated to create the world's first hydrogen-powered stone oven. This development is part of Toyota's broader initiative to expand hydrogen use beyond automotive applications, aiming to deliver efficient, clean, and sustainable cooking solutions.
The hydrogen stone oven, already in use in Toyota's employee cafeteria, offers practical benefits such as providing efficient and clean heat for cooking while reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional fuel sources. The benefits of using hydrogen in cooking include cleaner combustion, as hydrogen combustion produces only water vapor and no greenhouse gases, contributing to environmental sustainability.
Moreover, hydrogen fuel enables efficient, high-temperature cooking that is well suited for stone ovens, which rely on retaining and evenly distributing heat to cook foods like pizzas and croissants to craft-quality standards. This effort showcases Toyota's innovation in leveraging hydrogen technology to deliver both comfortable rides and "delicious food" by integrating hydrogen into diverse aspects of daily life, including food preparation.
Tetsuya Naka, Assistant Manager of Products Development Dept., Raw Material Development Div. at Toyota, notes that since the Mobility Show, his children have been asking for more hydrogen-baked foods. Masao Nonoyama, a developer from Rinnai's Advanced Development Section, R&D Headquarters, recalls trouble along the way in developing the hydrogen stone oven. Tatsuyuki Hayashi, a member of the Products Development Dept., Raw Material Development Div. at Toyota, mentions the need to figure things out for themselves due to the lack of set answers.
The project drew on technology for safely supplying and monitoring hydrogen, which had been honed for the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. Kenji Takahashi, a senior expert at Toyota's plants, emphasizes the importance of identifying potential risks and dealing with them in order of priority, drawing on his manufacturing genba experience.
Atsushi Shirakawa, Group Leader of Prototype Development Section, Raw Material Development Div. at Toyota, believes making hydrogen feel like part of everyday life is crucial for creating a hydrogen society. However, the lack of certification systems for hydrogen cooking appliances adds another layer of difficulty to the development process.
As Toyota and Rinnai continue to innovate, a new, unseen hydrogen cooker will be unveiled on the next page. The development of the hydrogen stone oven is a significant step towards expanding the horizons of a hydrogen society and demonstrates the potential of hydrogen as an energy source in the kitchen.
[1] Source: Toyota Press Release, 2021.
Science and technology play integral roles in the development of the hydrogen stone oven, as Toyota and Rinnai leverage advanced hydrogen technology from the Mirai fuel cell vehicle to ensure safe and efficient hydrogen supply and monitoring. This collaboration showcases the potential of hydrogen in technology applications, extending beyond automotive uses to cooking solutions, furthering the goals of a sustainable and hydrogen-powered society.
