Mitsui O.S.K., MOL Drybulk, and Japan Engine Corporation have signed a basic agreement to work together on a hydrogen-fueled engine experiment aboard an in-service vessel.
MOL and MOL Drybulk will operate the ship, while J-ENG will build the engine, which will be the world’s first low-speed, two-stroke hydrogen-fueled marine engine.
The ocean shipping sector has pushed a move to environmentally friendly, next-generation fuels while intensifying efforts to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a tool to combat climate change.
Hydrogen supply chains are likely to grow in the future as the usage and adoption of hydrogen in numerous industries, such as power production and transportation, improves. Hydrogen fuel is gaining traction as a possible next-generation fuel even in the ocean transportation business.
J-ENG will develop the hydrogen-fueled engine in collaboration with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd., which will be the world’s first primary engine for big ocean-going or coastal boats. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) chose the engine development for a government-funded initiative as part of the Green Innovation Funding Program.
According to the “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1,” the MOL Group aspires to deploy net zero emissions ocean-going vessels in the 2020s and achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050.
MOL, MOL Drybulk, and J-ENG will perform a trial with an in-service vessel fitted with a hydrogen-fueled engine as part of this agreement, with the goal of commercializing net zero hydrogen-powered boats and promoting their widespread acceptance in the ocean shipping sector.
