Japan is an obvious leader in liquified hydrogen, which is one of several ways that hydrogen can be transported and stored. But while it has invested significant money and engineering hours into this energy solution, it’s still unclear whether this approach will catch on.

At a time when Japan seeks to become a major player in this clean-burning fuel, the issue of what is the optimal means to transport hydrogen is crucial. Investing heavily in infrastructure around one solution, only to see another approach win mass adoption, would end up wasting large state funds and damage Japan’s goal of acting as a regional energy transition leader. 

Meanwhile, other hydrogen carrier options are progressing in terms of supply chain development and technological breakthroughs. Hydrogen can also be converted into ammonia, which has become the go-to solution among Japanese power utilities; it can be carried via methanol (the fuel of choice for some major shipping firms in Europe); or bonded into compounds such as methylcyclohexane (MCH).

Still, backers of the liquified hydrogen solution are not giving up. Building on the successful 2021 launch of the oceangoing liquefied hydrogen bulk vessel, Suiso Frontier, the companies behind this technology in Japan promise to offer commercial-scale equipment for their supply chain within this decade. They also claim that they are well positioned to hit 2030 government cost targets and that in some ways liquified hydrogen is safer than ammonia and MCH, which are classified as dangerous chemicals.

Recently, the promoters of the liquified hydrogen technologies in Japan delivered a report to the government on their progress. These discussions are inconclusive but Korean and European shipping sectors are taking similar steps to to propose international standards and rules for liquefied hydrogen.