The Japanese vessel Kiko Maru, with a gross tonnage of 4,500 GT, has completed a demonstration voyage across Osaka Bay using a marine engine powered entirely by hydrogen.
According to the Nippon Foundation, this was the world’s first voyage by a vessel equipped with an engine of this type.
The trial took place on September 25 and lasted approximately two hours. During the voyage, Kiko Maru travelled around 33 kilometres, reducing CO₂ emissions by an estimated 1.2 tonnes compared with operating on conventional fuel.
The demonstration was conducted as part of the Zero Emission Ship Project, launched in 2022 to develop vessels that produce no carbon dioxide emissions and support Japan’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality in domestic shipping by 2050.
The hydrogen engine and its supporting equipment were developed by Yanmar Power Solution, which participates in one of the project’s three consortiums.
Kiko Maru’s owner and operator, Ueno Transtech, carried out the vessel’s conversion and trained its crew to operate safely with hydrogen fuel.
In April 2024, the project demonstrated zero-emission operations involving Hanaria, a vessel designed to support offshore wind farms. Unlike Kiko Maru, Hanaria is powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Demonstration trials involving technologies developed by the two other consortiums are scheduled to take place by the end of the 2026 fiscal year.
The Nippon Foundation launched the Zero Emission Ship Project and coordinates the work of the three consortiums developing zero-emission maritime technologies.
