Kawasaki Heavy says liquefied hydrogen carrier departs Japan for Australia
24/12/2021 09:28
TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The world's first liquefied
hydrogen carrier left Japan on Friday to pick up its first cargo
in Australia, with a return to Japan expected around late
February, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd 7012.T said.
The A$500 million ($362 million) pilot project, led by
Japan's Kawasaki and backed by the Japanese and Australian
governments, was originally scheduled to ship its first cargo of
hydrogen extracted from brown coal in Australia in the spring.
But it was delayed to the second half of Kawasaki's
financial year, which runs from October to March, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2N60YG
"It depends on the weather, but the hydrogen carrier 'Suiso
Frontier' is due to arrive in Australia in mid-January and is
expected to return to Japan in around late February," a
spokesperson said.
A one-way trip takes about 16 days.
Kawasaki Heavy aims to replicate its success as a major
liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker producer with hydrogen, a key
element that may help decarbonise industries and aid the global
energy transition. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2JZ07G
In March this year, the Japanese-Australian venture started
producing hydrogen from brown coal in the test project that aims
to show liquefied hydrogen can be produced and exported safely
to Japan. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2L81IF
Partners on the Australian side of the project include
Japan's Electric Power Development Co (J-Power) 9513.T ,
Iwatani Corp 8088.T , Marubeni Corp 8002.T , Sumitomo Corp
8053.T and Australia's AGL Energy Ltd AGL.AX , whose mine is
supplying the brown coal.
($1 = 1.3816 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com; +813-4520-1265;))