Fumio Kishida, Japan’s prime minister, emphasized the significance of a move to a hydrogen society in order to achieve decarbonization.

Kishida visited liquid hydrogen receiving facility in Kobe, the capital of the Hyogo prefecture in western Japan, and examined the Suiso Frontier, the world’s first liquefied hydrogen transport ship. Suiso is a Japanese word that implies hydrogen.

“Decarbonization requires a shift to the development of a hydrogen society,” Kishida told reporters. According to him, the government would take “strong support measures” on investment to encourage the early adoption of hydrogen and expand its usage.

In February, the Suiso Frontier returned from Australia with liquefied hydrogen made from coal mined in the Oceanian nation. The delivery of liquid hydrogen by ship is part of a test effort involving both Japan and Australia’s governmental and commercial sectors.

Kishida also paid a visit to Kobe University’s Bioproduction Engineering Lab. He was given information regarding biomanufacturing methods, which include the use of carbon dioxide and genetically engineered bacteria to create plastic and fiber products.