Launch of Demonstration Project to Advance Cargo Handling Machinery at Hanshin Port Container Terminal— The World's First Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) Crane for Port Decarbonization with a Hydrogen Engine —

Kobe-Osaka International Port Corporation
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
Shosen Koun Co., Ltd.
MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd.
i Labo Corporation
Iwatani Corporation
Universal Energy Research Institute, Inc.

Kobe-Osaka International Port Corporation (President: Takafumi Kido; hereinafter "Kobe-Osaka International Port"), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (President: Takeshi Hashimoto; hereinafter "Mitsui O.S.K. Lines"), Shosen Koun Co., Ltd. (President: Kenji Jitsu; hereinafter "Shosen Koun"), MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd. (President: Takeyuki Takahashi, hereinafter "MITSUI E&S"), i Labo Corporation (President: Nobuhiro Ota; hereinafter "i Labo"), Iwatani Corporation (President: Hiroshi Majima; hereinafter "Iwatani") and Universal Energy Research Institute, Inc. (President: Takeshi Kaneda; hereinafter "Universal Energy") have announced that Kobe-Osaka International Port will be commissioned by the Kinki Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to implement a demonstration operation of hydrogen-powered cargo handling machinery (hereinafter the "Demonstration Project") at the Kobe International Container Terminal (hereinafter "KICT")1 operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines after the installation of a power generator that uses hydrogen in a rubber tired gantry (RTG) crane.²

Together with Shosen Koun, the owner of the RTG crane and operator of the facility, MITSUI E&S, the manufacturer of the RTG crane, i Labo, the manufacturer of hydrogen engines, Iwatani, the partner supplying and transporting hydrogen and refueling hydrogen equipment, and Universal Energy, a consultant, Kobe-Osaka International Port will endeavor to introduce hydrogen energy safely and smoothly and implement the on-site demonstration and other efforts with a view toward the decarbonization of port terminals.

To establish decarbonized society, the hope the world is placing on hydrogen as a clean source of energy is growing. In Japanese ports, harbors and waterfront zones, efforts are being made to construct carbon neutral ports (CNP) through the advancement of port and harbor capabilities for decarbonization and the construction of facilities for accepting hydrogen. Activities are underway, including the development of technologies for hydrogen-powered cargo handling machinery. This Demonstration Project is the world's first attempt to replace the diesel engine power generator of an RTG crane with a hydrogen engine power generator.

All of the partners in the Demonstration Project will proactively work to introduce hydrogen fuel for cargo handling machinery and to transition this equipment to electrical propulsion to transform the Hanshin Port into a CNP.

1. Overview of the Demonstration Project
I. Commissioned Operations: Commissioned Operations for Demonstration Project on Advancement of Cargo Handling Machinery at the Hanshin Port
II. Commissioning Party: Kinki Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
III. Location: PC15 to PC17, Kobe Port Island (Phase 2) District, Minatojima 9-chome, Chuo-ku, Kobe IV. Details of demonstration
A. Replacement of a cargo handling machinery diesel engine power generator with a hydrogen engine power generator
B. Refueling of the cargo handling machinery with hydrogen
C. Cargo handling operations using the handling machinery

For details, see the website of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism at: URL: https://www.kkr.mlit.go.jp/news/top/press/2023/20240207-2cnpjissyou.html

2. RTG: Rubber Tired Gantry crane
A crane for carrying containers that has legs equipped with rubber-tired wheels at both ends of the girder so that it can move along the ground without rails

Contact information for this project
MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd.
Logistics Systems Division, Sales Department.
TEL: +81-3-3544-3906