“K” Line, Mitsui OSK Line, and NYK Line have each taken a 16.6% stake in marine transport research company, JSE Ocean, to help set up a global liquefied hydrogen supply chain.
JSE Ocean is a subsidiary of Japan Suiso Energy, a liquid hydrogen research company that was set up in June 2021. JSE holds the remaining 50.2% of JSE Ocean.
JSE Ocean was set up in January 2023 to research the seaborne carriage of liquefied hydrogen using a large liquefied hydrogen carrier.
The companies hope to develop a safe operation of the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier by 2024 and to develop a marine transport business.
Japan has developed a “basic hydrogen strategy” that has identified hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels. That strategy commits Japan to a target of three million tons of hydrogen each year to 2030, 12 million tons / year by 2040 and 20 million tons / year by 2050.
The target hydrogen supply cost is about 30 Japanese Yen / normal cubic metre (i.e. one cubic metre at standard temperature (zero degrees Celsius) and standard pressure) and 20 Yen / Nm3 by 2050. As of 06 October 2023, 30 Japanese Yen is about AUD$0.32.
JSE intents to set up the world’s first large-scale hydrogen liquefaction and transport company, targeting an initial 30,000 tons of hydrogen / year before expansion. JSE will also seek to demonstrate a liquid hydrogen supply chain covering production, liquefaction, export from Australia, marine transport, and importation into Japan.
In March this year, several Japanese companies announced they were working on a demonstration project with feasibility studies for an export site at Hastings, Victoria, and the Kawasaki Coastal Area, Japan, as the receiving site. The companies involved are the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization; Japan Suiso Energy; Iwatani Corporation; ENEOS; and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
“The project will collaborate with potential customers, industrial partners who will conduct hydrogen power generation demonstration projects, and local governments, and contribute to the establishment of a commercial scale international liquefied hydrogen supply chain. The goal is to achieve carbon neutrality for Japan by 2050,” a statement reads.
