A development plan for the hydrogen engine
On January 9, 2024, Japan's Yanmar Group announced that it had joined a national program run by the Nippon Foundation to develop a zero-emission ship demonstrator. Within this framework, the engine manufacturer will collaborate on the development of a high-speed 4-stroke combustion engine using hydrogen fuel.
At the same time, Yanmar Power Technology is working on hybrid electric ships, combining hydrogen fuel generators and batteries. Electricity is generated in a containerized unit on the deck of a coaster, developed by another project partner, the Uyeno Group.
A medium-term plan
The Japanese Foundation's project, which involves 6 partners, calls for onshore trials as early as 2024, with the first pilot tests in 2026 and the first hydrogen-powered coasters in 2030. Although the applications are aimed at small merchant ships for coastal navigation, they also reflect the engine-maker's desire to test new fuels, with a possible longer-term application on lower-power engines and a possible use for pleasure boating, if dockside supply infrastructures develop to meet demand.
