For import and export: Kawasaki unveils the first hydrogen transport ship

While most countries around the world rely on lithium-ion batteries to electrify the mobility sector, Japan is at least partially taking a different path. Because the country is one of the largest sponsors of fuel cell vehicles. They use hydrogen to generate electricity on site. Only water is generated as a waste product, so that trips at local level are emission-free. However, the production of hydrogen is extremely energy intensive. In Japan itself, it cannot be produced in the quantities that would be necessary to actually change the entire economy. That is why the country plans to import part of the demand. A consortium of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Iwatani Corporation, Shell Japan and J-Power wants to take the lead.

A diesel engine continues to provide the drive
The most important question in this context: How can the hydrogen be transported? Basically, this is possible with pipelines. However, Japan is an island, which makes it difficult to build the appropriate infrastructure. That is why Kawasaki has now presented a ship that is capable of transporting hydrogen. However, the prerequisite is that there are special loading and unloading terminals at the ports. For transportation, the gas is compressed extremely and cooled down to minus 253 degrees Celsius. In total, the ship can transport 1,250 cubic meters of hydrogen per trip. However, the transport is not really climate-friendly. Because the hydrogen transporter is powered by a diesel engine. The same applies to the trucks that transport the gas on land.

Hydrogen from the desert could also be transported in this way
In addition, the ship will initially transport hydrogen from Australia to Japan. Down under, however, the energy required for production is in no way obtained with the help of renewable energies. Instead, climate-friendly lignite is not used. Nevertheless, the development of hydrogen transport ships could still play an important role in the future. Because there are also plans in other regions of the world to produce the gas where cheap electricity is available and then export it to the industrialized nations. In the Sahara, for example, solar energy could be used to produce hydrogen, which is then delivered to Europe. Exports could be made much more flexible with ships than with a pipeline. In the long term, the development of Kawasaki could certainly contribute to climate protection.