World's First Land-Based Hydrogen Fuel Operation for Large Commercial Ship Engine Commences

Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) are working on the 'Green Innovation Fund Project / Development of Marine Hydrogen Engines and MHFS (Note 1)' under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), with the cooperation of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), MOL Drybulk Ltd., Onomichi Dockyard Co., Ltd., and ClassNK.

In this project, J-ENG is developing a purely domestic, large, low-speed, two-stroke engine fueled by hydrogen. The company has now commenced the world's first (Note 2) hydrogen co-firing operation across all cylinders of the first full-scale engine (the 6UEC35LSGH engine intended for actual ship installation). To date, the engine has achieved a hydrogen co-firing rate of over 95% at 100% load, confirming both GHG reduction and stable operation. Verification testing to optimize performance during hydrogen co-firing will continue.

While the development and demonstration of hydrogen-fueled ships have been advancing globally, most projects focus on short-distance, short-duration, and low-output operations for coastal or harbor vessels like sightseeing boats and tugboats using compressed hydrogen. In contrast, this project is characterized by a propulsion system that combines a high-efficiency, high-output low-speed two-stroke engine (6UEC35LSGH) with liquefied hydrogen fuel, enabling long-distance, long-duration, and high-output operations. This represents a critical technical step toward the practical application of hydrogen-fueled large commercial vessels.

J-ENG has previously conducted fundamental tests on hydrogen-related materials and combustion, as well as durability tests for hydrogen fuel injection systems, incorporating these findings into the development of this engine. Following various verification tests as a full-scale engine, it is scheduled to be shipped in January 2027 and installed as the main engine for a 17,500-deadweight-ton hydrogen-fueled multipurpose vessel (the 'Vessel') designed and built by Onomichi Dockyard. The MHFS, the system supplying hydrogen fuel to this engine, is being developed and manufactured by KHI and is also scheduled for installation on the Vessel.

Furthermore, MOL and Onomichi Dockyard have reached an agreement and signed contracts for the construction of the Vessel. Through discussions among the involved parties, specifications for the equipment required for a hydrogen-fueled ship have been agreed upon, and relevant contracts have been signed. Detailed design of the Vessel is currently progressing smoothly.

The Vessel is scheduled to undergo demonstration operations for three years starting in fiscal year 2028, under the management of MOL and MOL Drybulk. ClassNK will provide safety assessments throughout the development of the engine and MHFS, as well as the design, construction, and operation of the demonstration ship. Supported by NEDO, J-ENG and KHI, in collaboration with MOL, MOL Drybulk, Onomichi Dockyard, and ClassNK, will continue to pioneer a sustainable future for the shipping industry through the challenge of realizing practical hydrogen-fueled commercial ship operations.