Japanese engineering corporation Kawasaki Heavy Industries and energy company Japan Suiso Energy have signed a contract to build the world’s largest dedicated liquefied hydrogen carrier. The new tanker will have a capacity of approximately 40,000 cubic meters. Construction will take place at the Sakaide Works shipyard in Kagawa Prefecture, and Japan Suiso Energy will serve as the project operator.
The project is being implemented under the Green Innovation Fund program, administered by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Its key goal is to establish a commercial liquefied hydrogen supply chain by fiscal year 2030, including loading and unloading operations, as well as full-scale sea trials of the vessel under real-life operating conditions.
The tanker will be equipped with a highly efficient thermal insulation system to minimize cargo evaporation, an electric propulsion system with dual-fuel diesel-hydrogen generators, and a system for utilizing the resulting hydrogen gas as fuel. According to the companies, this configuration will reduce CO₂ emissions during transportation. The vessel’s hull and draft are optimized for the low density of liquefied hydrogen, increasing energy efficiency. The vessel will be approximately 250 meters long, 35 meters wide, and have a draft of 8.5 meters when fully loaded.