Accelerating liquefied hydrogen supply chains, with an eye on Europe and the UK
Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering (MCE) has taken an equity stake in Japan Suiso Energy (JSE), backing the build-out of a commercial, international liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) supply chain centred on the Kawasaki Bay area. The investment supports JSE’s ongoing demonstration and scale-up plans and dovetails with Mitsubishi’s broader Green Transformation (GX) priorities to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors by pairing hydrogen know-how with infrastructure delivery. Public statements around the deal emphasise JSE’s role operating Japan’s emerging LH₂ terminals and moving from pilot operations to full-scale supply in the 2030s.
Why it matters: from pilot to scale at the Kawasaki LH₂ Terminal
The equity move lands as Japan transitions from one-off demonstrations to commercial-scale infrastructure:
- Bigger tanks, bigger ambition. Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has begun fabricating a 50,000 m³ above-ground LH₂ storage tank for installation at the domestic terminal on Ohgishima, Kawasaki, a step-change from the early Kobe facility and a cornerstone of JSE’s NEDO-backed “Liquefied Hydrogen Supply Chain Commercialisation Demonstration Project.”
- Proven cryogenic tech. Earlier pilots validated ultra-low boil-off rates, about 3%/day aboard the SUISO FRONTIER and 0.06%/day for the onshore Hy touch Kobe tank, crucial metrics for long-haul LH₂ economics.
- Terminal operations and land secured. JSE has secured 21 hectares on Ohgishima for the commercial terminal footprint, anchoring scale-up.
Taken together, these milestones are the backbone that MCE’s investment is designed to strengthen: reliable large-scale storage, safe transfer systems, and repeatable terminal operations, areas where MCE’s process engineering and project delivery experience are directly applicable.
Positioning within Mitsubishi’s GX agenda
Mitsubishi groups have been reorganising around GX (Green Transformation), with new business domains and partnerships spanning hydrogen production, carriers and end-use equipment (e.g., hydrogen-ready turbines in Europe). The JSE stake fits this pivot: enabling infrastructure at source and sink and creating optionality for global routes as demand centres mature.
Bottom line: The move is less a one-off financial bet and more a systems integration play, tying MCE’s 60-year hydrogen heritage to the practical realities of building and operating LH₂ terminals, shipping and offtake.
Europe and the UK: where this could land first
While Japan is the anchor market, Europe (and particularly the North Sea region) is getting regulatory and infrastructure “runway” ready for imported hydrogen molecules, including liquid hydrogen alongside ammonia and LOHCs. This is where MCE’s JSE tie-up could translate into concrete projects and partnerships.
-
Regulatory green lights for Japanese LH₂ ventures in the EU
The European Commission cleared a Japanese joint venture on hydrogen liquefaction/transport under EU merger rules in 2024, smoothing the path for collaboration on the continent (a signal that Europe is open to LH₂ players like JSE/Kawasaki/Iwatani).
-
The Netherlands & Germany: early “LH₂-ready” port ecosystems
- Port of Rotterdam is developing Europe’s hydrogen hub, with multiple import terminal projects spanning ammonia, LOHCs and liquid hydrogen, targeting a combined ~4 Mt H₂ by 2030 (import + local). Technical choices remain project-specific, but the port explicitly includes LH₂ in its planning drawer, critical for JSE/MCE to plug in where pure LH₂ supply makes sense.
- Hamburg & Dutch corridor planning are mapping out future LH₂ corridors and terminal infrastructure, aligning maritime, rail and pipeline links—another natural interface for a turnkey LH₂ specialist.
- Kawasaki has been actively showcasing its global hydrogen offer (from LH₂ carriers to turbines) at European forums like Rotterdam’s World Hydrogen Summit, underlining the tech stack that complements JSE’s terminal role and MCE’s project capability.
-
UK: demand nodes are forming – aviation, ports and industrial clusters
The UK’s hydrogen import studies include liquid hydrogen among viable chains, even as many near-term schemes lean on ammonia/LOHC. What matters for LH₂ is end-use that values high-purity, cryogenic hydrogen, notably aviation and mobility, plus selected industrial users:
- Aviation pull: ZeroAvia is developing liquid hydrogen fuel systems under a UK-funded programme, with flight-test integration planned—an emerging offtake that favours direct LH₂ supply into airports. ZeroAvia
- Tees Valley is evolving as a hydrogen cluster (production, refuelling, SAF logistics), creating an ecosystem that can later accept imported molecules as volumes scale. Exolum’s Stockton-on-Tees electrolyser and refuelling project complements this. Exolum
- Milford Haven (Wales) is building hydrogen fuelling demonstrators and exploring pipelines tied to a broader clean-maritime and industrial decarbonisation agenda, again, a candidate for future imported hydrogen, with LH₂ as one of the options.Milford Haven
What this means for the UK: As specific LH₂ import terminals are evaluated (likely alongside ammonia and LOHC pathways), MCE-JSE can offer a turnkey LH₂ chain, from Kawasaki-class terminals (scaled tanks, low BOR, proven loading arms) to marine logistics and safe last-mile delivery into aviation and mobility hubs.
How the pieces fit: the emerging JSE–MCE–Kawasaki model Europe can use
- Terminal “kit” with scale: The Ohgishima build (50,000 m³ tank) proves out commercial-scale storage design; expect that engineering pattern to inform any European LH₂ receiving terminal FEED. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
- Shipping & handling: The SUISO FRONTIER pilot and low-loss cryogenics de-risk long-haul shipping and ship-to-shore transfer, essential for Atlantic routes.
- Regulatory & market access: With EU merger clearance for Japanese LH₂ JV activity, and ports like Rotterdam planning for LH₂ options, the first European landing points are coming into focus.
- UK demand anchors: Early LH₂ aviation projects and hydrogen clusters (Tees Valley; Milford Haven maritime pilots) create bankable offtake narratives for import terminals serving the UK.
Strategic outlook
- Short term (2025–2027): Finalise and de-risk the Kawasaki domestic terminal; align standards and safety cases with EU/UK authorities; initiate European FEED for one or two LH₂ receiving sites (likely North Sea ports with hydrogen corridors under development).
- Medium term (late 2020s): Pair LH₂-ready European ports with UK offtake in aviation and heavy mobility, using MCE’s project engineering and JSE’s operator role to deliver first-of-a-kind receivers with proven boil-off control and loading tech.
- Early 2030s: Ramp to full-scale imports, leveraging the Ohgishima reference plant and a maturing EU hydrogen market with multiple carrier forms, LH₂ where purity and energy density justify cryogenic handling.
The post Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering takes stake in Japan Suiso Energy first appeared on Haush.