The unveiling ceremony of the hydrogen fuel cell ship “Mahoroba” was held in Osaka

As part of NEDO’s “Collaborative Industry-Academia-Government Research and Development Project for Solving Common Challenges Toward Dramatically Expanded Use of Fuel Cells and Related Equipment,” Iwatani Corporation has developed a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessel and held its unveiling ceremony in Osaka on March 21, 2025.

This project involved the development of an energy system for ships composed of fuel cells, hydrogen storage tanks, and lithium-ion batteries, as well as the construction of bunkering facilities to supply hydrogen and electricity from land to ship. Demonstration operations at sea have also been underway.

The newly developed hydrogen fuel cell ship has been named “Mahoroba” and is scheduled to operate at the Osaka-Kansai Expo starting in April 2025 as a clean maritime transport solution that emits no CO₂ during operation.

Dr. IIMURA Akiko, Executive Director of NEDO attended the ceremony and participated in a ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the vessel’s completion.

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  Dr. Iimura Executive Director of NEDO (far left) and Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the Osaka-Kansai Expo (far right), participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside other attendees.

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  The hydrogen fuel cell ship “Mahoroba”