Japan has completed a demonstration voyage of a coastal tanker powered by a hydrogen-fueled engine as part of efforts to develop lower-emission technology for domestic shipping. The Nippon Foundation said the vessel sailed in Osaka Bay on September 25, 2026, using a hydrogen-fueled four-stroke engine during the trial.

The approximately 4,500-gross-ton tanker traveled about 33 kilometers during the two-hour demonstration. According to The Nippon Foundation, the project involved the development of a marine hydrogen four-stroke engine and a large coastal tanker capable of operating with hydrogen fuel. The foundation described the development and demonstration of a vessel equipped with the hydrogen-fueled engine as a world first based on its research as of September 2026.

The hydrogen engine was developed by Yanmar Power Solutions, while other project participants worked on vessel modifications, fuel systems, operational arrangements and crew training for hydrogen-fueled operations. The Nippon Foundation said the demonstration reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.2 metric tons compared with operation using conventional fossil fuel.

The trial forms part of The Nippon Foundation’s Zero Emission Ship Project, launched to support the development of vessels with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The program is working through three consortiums on hydrogen-related marine technologies as Japan targets carbon neutrality in its domestic shipping sector by 2050. Further demonstration activities involving other hydrogen vessel projects are planned through fiscal year 2026.