MITSUI O.S.K. Lines, MOL Drybulk and Japan Engine Corporation are to co-operate in a trial of a hydrogen-fuelled engine installed in an on-service vessel.

The companies say the engine will be the world’s first low-speed, two stroke hydrogen-fuelled marine engine.

The ship trialling the engine is to be operated by MOL and MOL Drybulk and the engine is to be developed by J-ENG. The companies aim to commercialise net-zero hydrogen-powered vessels and promote their wide adoption in the ocean shipping industry.

MOL said hydrogen supply chains are expected to expand globally in response to increased use and adoption of hydrogen in various fields such as power generation and mobility.

J-ENG is to develop the engine in co-operation with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Yanmar Power Technology. The engine development project was selected for a government subsidised project by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, part of the Japanese government’s Green Innovation Funding Program.

The MOL Group aims to deploy net zero emissions ocean-going vessels in the 2020s and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.