Japan has achieved another world first in the race to decarbonise shipping. A consortium of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yanmar Power Solutions and Japan Engine Corporation has successfully carried out the first land-based operation of marine hydrogen engines, marking a major step toward zero-emission ship propulsion.
The trial took place at Japan Engine’s headquarters factory using a newly built liquefied hydrogen fuel supply system developed under the government-backed Green Innovation Fund, part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s JPY 2trn ($13bn) push to meet the nation’s 2050 net-zero goal.
Kawasaki Heavy led development of the hydrogen fuel supply system, designed to deliver both high- and low-pressure hydrogen to different types of marine engines. During testing, Kawasaki Heavy and Yanmar achieved stable combustion at rated output in medium-speed four-stroke engines running entirely on hydrogen.
Japan Engine, meanwhile, is developing a low-speed two-stroke hydrogen engine — the type typically used for main propulsion — and plans to begin operation in spring 2026.
Each of the three engines can also run on conventional fuels, offering redundancy through a dual-fuel configuration that can switch between hydrogen and diesel.
Land-based testing is expected to be followed by onboard trials with Japanese shipyards and owners over the coming years.
“The demonstration confirms that hydrogen can deliver stable, zero-emission power for marine use,” the partners said in a joint statement, adding that the goal is to “lead global adoption of hydrogen-fuelled ships.”
