- Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan Suiso Energy have signed a contract to build a 40000 m3 liquefied hydrogen carrier, the largest of its kind globally.
- The vessel will support commercial scale hydrogen supply chain development under Japan’s Green Innovation Fund programme.
- The project marks a major step toward large volume international hydrogen transport ahead of expected demand growth in the 2030s.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan Suiso Energy have signed a contract to construct the world’s largest liquefied hydrogen carrier, with a cargo capacity of 40000 cubic metres. The announcement was made in Tokyo on January 6 2026.
The vessel will be built at Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Sakaide Works in Kagawa Prefecture. Japan Suiso Energy will act as project operator under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Green Innovation Fund initiative, which aims to demonstrate the commercial viability of a liquefied hydrogen supply chain by the 2030 financial year.
The programme will include ship to shore loading and unloading of liquefied hydrogen and operational trials under open ocean conditions, laying the groundwork for future large scale hydrogen trade.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries previously delivered the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, the 1250 m3 Suiso Frontier, in 2021. The company has also developed the Hy touch Kobe liquefied hydrogen receiving terminal and played a key role in the first successful pilot shipment of liquefied hydrogen between Japan and Australia in 2022.
Designed to meet anticipated global hydrogen demand in the coming decade, the new vessel is intended to form a core component of a future international hydrogen supply chain. It will be used in combination with the Kawasaki LH2 Terminal currently under construction at Ogishima in Kawasaki City to demonstrate performance, safety, durability, reliability and commercial feasibility.
The carrier will feature high capacity cryogenic cargo tanks with advanced insulation to minimise boil off gas. Its electric propulsion system will include both conventional oil fired and hydrogen compatible dual fuel generator engines, allowing boil off hydrogen gas to be used as fuel and reducing carbon dioxide emissions during transport.
The vessel will also be equipped with a high efficiency cargo handling system using vacuum insulated piping to ensure safe and stable transfer of liquefied hydrogen between ship and shore. Its hull form and draft have been optimised for the low density of liquefied hydrogen, improving propulsion efficiency and reducing power requirements.
Comprehensive risk assessments have been conducted on the hydrogen fuel, fuel supply and cargo handling systems to ensure safety for crew, the environment and vessel integrity.
By enabling the stable supply of large volumes of hydrogen, the project is expected to support decarbonisation across power generation, transport and industrial sectors. Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan Suiso Energy stated that they will continue working with partners to establish a commercial scale international liquefied hydrogen supply chain and contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
