Japanese shipping company NYK Line, Eneos, and the engineering companies KHI (Kawasaki Heavy Industries) and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions are due to launch a demonstration project this month to commercialize and develop high-power hydrogen-powered cruise ships. The project is expected to develop a 150 GT hydrogen fuel cell passenger ferry for the trial beginning in 2024 in Yokohama (Tokyo, Japan).
NYK Line is due to manage the project while assisting in the ship's design and legal compliance. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions will install a high-power fuel cell system on vessels and develop operation technology. KHI will be in charge of creating an onboard energy management system and hydrogen supply system. Japanese classification society ClassNK is to co-operate in the safety assessment of the vessels.
Eneos is currently responsible for developing a hydrogen fuel supply system to demonstrate hydrogen supply in the pilot operation. The company, formerly popular as JXTG, strengthened efforts to shift to low-carbon energy like hydrogen and renewables.
Eneos and power venture Jera in late August 2020 jointly opened a large-scale hydrogen supply station in Tokyo (Yokohama) with an on-site facility to produce hydrogen from city gas piped from Ohgishima City Gas Supply facility, a joint venture of Jera, Eneos, and gas utility Osaka Gas.
Nationwide, Eneos operates a total of 43 hydrogen stations. It is also in an Australian-Japanese venture to export to the market in Japan hydrogen produced in Australia from coal.
The country is working to commercialize zero-carbon emitting ships in 2028-2030 as part of efforts to reduce the emissions of the global shipping industry. Shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines is co-operating with electric ship developer e5 Lab to create a hybrid car carrier featuring a hydrogen fuel cell system.