Japanese engineering group Kawasaki Heavy Industries has signed a contract with Japan Suiso Energy to build what they say will be the world’s largest liquefied hydrogen carrier.
The vessel will have a cargo capacity of around 40,000 cbm and will be constructed at Kawasaki’s Sakaide Works in western Japan.
Japan Suiso Energy is acting as the project operator under a programme backed by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, which aims to demonstrate a commercial-scale liquefied hydrogen supply chain by fiscal year 2030.
Kawasaki said the ship will feature high-performance insulation to minimise boil-off gas and an electric propulsion system that includes hydrogen and oil dual-fuel generator engines. Boil-off gas from the cargo tanks will be reused as fuel, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions during transport.
The project builds on Kawasaki’s earlier work, including the 1,250 cbm liquefied hydrogen carrier Suiso Frontier, and is intended to support the development of an international hydrogen supply chain and broader decarbonisation efforts.
