MOL Becomes First To Produce & Supply Green Hydrogen From Ship To Land

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, has successfully supplied green hydrogen onshore, produced it offshore while sailing.

This is the first time where a ship has generated and delivered green hydrogen to land-based facilities. The hydrogen was produced using the demonstration yacht Winz Maru, which is part of the Wind Hunter Project, a zero-emission initiative utilising wind power and hydrogen.

The onshore supply took place at Tokyo’s central breakwater area.

MOL conducted trials in Omura Bay, Sasebo City, between FY2021 and FY2023, where the Winz Maru completed all stages of hydrogen production, storage, and onboard usage.

Since FY2023, under the Tokyo Bay eSG Project’s “Prior Projects”, MOL has focused on supplying domestically produced green hydrogen from the vessel to onshore infrastructure in Tokyo Bay.

One of the key innovations in this process is the conversion of green hydrogen into methylcyclohexane (MCH) onboard, making transportation and handling easier.

MOL has modified the vessel’s MCH tanks and installed additional turbine generators to ensure efficient storage and supply. The company also plans to produce about 100 Nm3 of hydrogen, equivalent to 200 litres of MCH, in FY2025.

This hydrogen will be used to supply electricity to a trailer home and other facilities in Tokyo’s central breakwater area.

Beyond this initial phase, the company is exploring the development of a larger demonstration vessel for the Wind Hunter Project. The goal is to construct and commercialise this vessel in the 2030s, assuming the establishment of a domestic hydrogen value chain.

A model of the Wind Hunter will be on display at the “Transportation and Mobility” zone within the Future Society Showcase pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The exposition is set to begin on April 13, 2025.

Reference: MOL

Source: Maritime Shipping News