In Oita, Japan, in 2021, Yanmar Power Technology Co. (YPT) ran and completed their first successful demonstration of their maritime fuel cell system. Now, the company has successfully delivered its now commercialised maritime hydrogen fuel cell system, which will be installed in HANARIA, a hybrid passenger ship.

This hybrid passenger ship is currently being built at the Hongawara Shipbuilding Co. which is located in the Hiroshima Prefecture. The HANARIA hybrid ship is designed to be able to use both hydrogen and biodiesel fuels, through using the onboard electric propulsion system. The ship is expected to have an estimated sailing speed of about 10.5 knots, whilst its ability to use hydrogen as an alternative fuel means that the ship will also provide a reduction in carbon emissions of 53-100% dependant on how much of what fuel is used.

After being commercialised in August of 2023, YPT’s maritime fuel cell is capable of offering up to 300kW of power to a range of vessels, with an estimated 240 kW to be supplied to the MONTENA-Sea operated passenger ship, HANARIA and used to generate hydrogen-fuelled power, within the fuel system onboard. Other vessels this maritime fuel cell will be compatible with include wok ships and cargo ships which are operating within coastal areas.

Now that plans around powering the ship have been finalised, MONTENA-Sea, who are a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines company, announced that the HANARIA passenger, measuring 33 metres in length, will be entering commercial service in April of 2024, in Fukuoka, Japan.