Engine heavyweights form new development company

Three of Japan’s leading marine engine manufacturers, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. and Japan Engine Corporation have announced the joint establishment of a new company - HyEng Corporation.

One of the new company’s main goals will be to develop hydrogen fuelled engines for the marine sector.

A Yanmar marine engine. Yanmar is one of three companies which said they wanted to contribute to decarbonization in Japan in the shipbuilding and maritime industry.

In a joint statement the three companies said they wanted to contribute to decarbonization in Japan in the shipbuilding and maritime industry.

They added: “With the establishment of HyEng Corporation, the three companies will further advance their joint development activities and accelerate their drive to develop new markets for decarbonization in the marine domain.”

HyEng Corporation will be based in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and the president will be Seiji Shindo

The companies said that other activities of the new venture will be the development of international standards and rules for hydrogen fuel supply systems, integration of hydrogen fuel supply systems and maintenance and operation of hydrogen fuel engine demonstration facilities. Each company will own one third of HyEng Corporation.

Regarding the engine output of the new engines Yanmar said there is no specific range being targeted at this time, rather, for now, the company will be conducting basic research, surveying the field, analyzing market trends and working to ascertain customer needs. This work will inform the company when it comes to deciding an engine line-up, it added.

The companies will be developing technology for a range of different engine types in the marine engine domain including two-cylinder low-speed engines, four- cylinder medium/high speed engines plus tank and supply systems.

These would be suitable for a range of vessels, however, no target vessel is specified at this time, it added.