Yanmar Power Technology (YPT) has conducted the world’s first 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen refuelling of a ship, using a demonstration test boat equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system

The refuelling was carried out in cooperation with Toyota Tsusho Corporation, using a specially licenced high-pressure facility and a newly developed hydrogen refuelling hose. It gave the ship a cruising time of more than three times longer than the previous refuelling process.

The results of the demonstration will be used for the market deployment of hydrogen fuel cell systems as well as the study of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for ships.

YPT is also developing the 300 kW-class maritime fuel cell system, which incorporates fuel cell modules supplied by Toyota Motor Corporation, to address potential customer demands such as those relating to the carbon-neutral port concept of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The company aims to obtain type approval so that the system can be installed in various types of ships, towards a planned launch worldwide in 2023.