Japan Engine Corporation (“J‑ENG”) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (“Kawasaki”) are jointly engaged in Green Innovation Fund Project “Development of Marine Hydrogen Engines and MHFS (Note 1)” of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (“NEDO”), in cooperation with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (“MOL”), MOL Drybulk Ltd. (“MOL Drybulk”), Onomichi Dockyard Co., Ltd. (“Onomichi Dockyard”), and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai(“ClassNK”).
Within this project, J‑ENG has been developing a fully Japan-made, large, low‑speed, two‑stroke hydrogen-fueled engine. The world’s first (Note 2) full‑scale engine intended for installation on an actual vessel, 6UEC35LSGH, has successfully begun hydrogen co‑firing operation in all cylinders. To date, the engine has achieved a hydrogen co‑firing ratio of over 95% at 100% load, confirming both GHG reduction effects and stable operation. Verification testing will continue to further optimize performance under hydrogen co‑firing conditions.
In recent years, the development and demonstration of hydrogen‑fueled vessels have progressed in Japan and abroad. However, most initiatives focus on short‑distance, short‑duration, and low‑output operations—such as sightseeing boats or tugboats using compressed hydrogen—primarily for domestic coastal or port‑area applications. In contrast, this project combines the high‑efficiency, high‑output, low‑speed two‑stroke hydrogen‑fueled 6UEC35LSGH engine with liquefied hydrogen fuel, thereby enabling long‑distance, long‑duration, and high‑output operations. This represents a major technological milestone toward the practical use of large oceangoing hydrogen‑fueled merchant ships. (....)