Kawasaki wins Green Innovation Fund backing to automate liquid hydrogen bunkering
In Japan, Kawasaki Heavy Industries said on February 20 that it has been selected by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization under its Green Innovation Fund to develop automated liquid hydrogen bunkering technology, adding a fueling link to its ongoing work on marine hydrogen engines and onboard fuel systems.
The newly approved project will focus on building shoreside facilities and automating the process of supplying liquefied hydrogen to ships. Kawasaki aims to optimize the full bunkering sequence while minimizing boil-off gas generated when loading hydrogen chilled to minus 253 degrees Celsius. The goal is to shorten fueling time and maintain safety through automated control.
The initiative will run in coordination with Kawasaki’s parallel development of marine hydrogen engines and its Marine Hydrogen Fuel System. The company plans to apply the automated bunkering technology in a demonstration vessel being developed under the same national program for next-generation ships.
Kawasaki said commercialization of large hydrogen fueled vessels requires engines, onboard tanks, and bunkering infrastructure to be deployed as an integrated system. It will work with shipowners, shipyards, engine manufacturers, classification societies, and hydrogen suppliers to advance practical implementation, alongside a separate project aimed at commercializing a liquefied hydrogen supply chain.
Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
