A cross-industry group of Japanese firms is targeting to launch pilot operations of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell passenger ferry at Yokohama port in 2024 following a co-operation agreement with Yokohama city.
Japanese shipping firm NYK Line, refiner Eneos and engineering firms Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions last year started a demonstration project to develop and commercialise hydrogen-powered fuel cell vessels. The five-year project includes development and a pilot operation of a 150 gross tonne hydrogen-powered fuel cell passenger ferry.
Yokohama city has agreed to collaborate on the project with the group of companies, while offering Yokohama port and its facilities for the demonstration project and studying possible berthing for hydrogen-fuelled vessels.
The group's project aspirations have met Yokohama's aim of becoming a carbon-neutral port under Tokyo's 2050 decarbonisation goal. Yokohama's city government and port authorities have been already discussing developing port infrastructure to support import operations of hydrogen and ammonia, power supplies for port operations and vessels, installation of fuel cell loading and trucking equipment, as well as hydrogen fuelling stations.
The country's transport ministry in late last year launched a programme aimed to set up carbon-neutral ports in Japan and selected six candidates, comprising Yokohama-Kawasaki, Nagoya, Kobe, Niigata on the country's northwest coast, Onahama in Fukushima prefecture and Tokuyama-Kudamatsu in Yamaguchi prefecture.
The selected ports are located strategically to support and supply carbon-free fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia, to the country's energy-intensive manufacturing plants, such as oil and petrochemical refineries, steel mills and power generation plants mostly located along the coast.
Kobe is hosting the country's first hydrogen import terminal on the airport island for Japanese venture Hystra. The terminal was commissioned last year with a 2,500m³ storage tank that can hold 150t of liquefied hydrogen and a loading facility. It is [awaiting delivery of the liquefied hydrogen carrier]((https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2189114) Suiso Frontier built by KHI.
Another group of Japanese firms including auto manufacturer Toyota is considering importing liquefied hydrogen at Chita port, part of Nagoya port, targeting to start commercial use of hydrogen by 2025 in central Japan's Chubu area.
