In a groundbreaking achievement, Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has successfully produced hydrogen offshore and delivered it to Tokyo, marking a significant milestone in renewable energy. The company used its demonstration vessel, the Winz Maru, to produce green hydrogen at sea and deliver it safely to land.

The Winz Maru is equipped with an onboard plant capable of producing hydrogen from seawater, creating a highly transportable form of green hydrogen. This innovation is part of MOL’s Wind Hunter Project, which aims to develop a sustainable green hydrogen supply chain. As a global leader in green hydrogen technologies, Japan is positioning itself to play a pivotal role in the transition away from fossil fuels, with MOL at the forefront of this push.

The Winz Maru produced hydrogen offshore and then converted it into methylcyclohexane (MCH), a liquid organic hydrogen carrier that makes transportation safer and more efficient. The hydrogen was delivered to the central breakwater area of Tokyo, marking the first time that hydrogen has been produced at sea and supplied to land.

The Winz Maru is a wind-powered sailing vessel that generates electricity through underwater turbines while extracting hydrogen from seawater. Designed to produce, store, and deliver hydrogen, the vessel is an integral part of MOL’s efforts to revolutionize the energy landscape.

Since 2023, MOL has been conducting demonstration tests in Omura Bay, working toward supplying domestically produced green hydrogen from the Winz Maru to onshore facilities in Tokyo Bay. The company aims to produce approximately 100 Nm³ (200 liters) of MCH by 2025 and supply hydrogen-powered electricity to facilities in Tokyo’s central breakwater area.

Looking ahead, MOL is exploring the possibility of using a larger vessel for the Wind Hunter Project, with plans for it to become operational by the early 2030s. These advancements come at a time when hydrogen production is becoming an increasingly viable renewable energy source, with recent breakthroughs—such as a cost-effective method for splitting seawater into hydrogen developed by researchers at the University of Adelaide—paving the way for broader adoption.

As Japan continues to lead the global charge in hydrogen technology, the country is heavily investing in the development of green hydrogen to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. MOL’s successful offshore hydrogen production and delivery further solidifies Japan’s position at the cutting edge of next-generation clean energy solutions.

By Impact Lab