A consortium consisting of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yanmar Power Solutions, and Japan Engine Corporation has carried out what it describes as the world’s first land-based operation of marine hydrogen engines.

The demonstration took place at Japan Engine’s headquarters factory using a newly installed liquefied hydrogen fuel supply system.

Results from the demonstration indicated that Kawasaki and Yanmar achieved stable hydrogen combustion in medium-speed four-stroke engines at rated output.

Following completion of land-based demonstrations, the companies plan to coordinate with shipowners and shipyards on onboard trials with a view to implementation in commercial service.

The trial forms part of the Green Innovation Fund Projects / “Next-Generation Ship Development” initiative, which is managed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The project, titled “Development of Marine Hydrogen Engine and MHFS,” supports efforts to reduce emissions in maritime transport.

Kawasaki supplied a liquefied hydrogen fuel system capable of storing and gasifying liquid hydrogen to deliver it to engines at both high and low pressure.

This allows for evaluation across several engine types, including low-speed two-stroke main propulsion models, four-stroke auxiliary engines, and four-stroke generator engines for use in electric propulsion applications.

Japan Engine is developing a low-speed two-stroke hydrogen engine scheduled for operational evaluation in spring 2026.

The dual-fuel system installed in all three engines enables operation with either hydrogen or diesel, allowing for greenhouse gas emission reductions while maintaining operational flexibility for vessel operators.

The Japanese government established the Green Innovation Fund with Y2trn in resources through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), aiming to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

NEDO continued to provide financial support through additional budget allocations of Y300bn in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and Y456.4bn in FY2023.

In April this year, Yanmar Power Technology, a subsidiary of Yanmar Holdings, received Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV, a Norway-based classification society, for its GH320FC maritime hydrogen fuel cell system.