Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), ClassNK, and Eneos Corporation have been given approval by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to participate in a demonstration project for the commercialisation of high-power fuel cell vessels.
The project, which will begin in September 2020, is Japan's first effort to develop a commercially available vessel that will be powered by fuel cell technology.
The partners will develop a fuel cell-powered sightseeing vessel with capacity for approximately 100 passengers and a displacement of 150-tonnes. Construction will start in 2023 while the demonstration operation of the vessel, wherein it will be powered by hydrogen, is expected to commence in 2024.
The vessel's initial operations will be in the waters near the Port of Yokohama.
