According to Dubai-based KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE the world’s first commercial gas engine capable of running on a 30 percent hydrogen blend is now available for order. It arrives with a warranty, a service schedule, and a price tag.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan has begun accepting orders for the KG series hydrogen co-firing engine, following verification tests at its Kobe works.
The engine burns a mixture of up to 30% hydrogen by volume with natural gas, a threshold that requires minimal modification to existing pipeline infrastructure. But the fuel itself remains scarce. Japan imports nearly all its energy, and commercial scale hydrogen supply chains are still years from completion.
The KG series engine is not designed to run on pure hydrogen, at least not yet. The 30 percent blend represents what the company calls a drop in compatibility level, meaning facilities equipped with natural gas systems can adopt the engine without replacing distribution lines or storage tanks.
The company’s gas engines division has spent more than a decade refining the underlying platform. Earlier generation KG series gas engines, which have received over 240 orders since 2011, can be converted to hydrogen co firing specifications. That means a power plant built a decade ago on natural gas can begin burning a fuel that did not exist in commercial quantities when the plant was designed. The retrofit pathway extends asset life while gradually decarbonizing fuel inputs, avoiding the capital cost of complete fleet replacement.
Kawasaki’s verification testing ran from October 2024 through September 2025 and focused on operational factors that laboratory demonstrations cannot replicate. Engineers tested hydrogen supply chain integration, maintainability, and safety protocols, particularly leak detection and purge systems designed for hydrogen’s unusual behaviour.
Hydrogen molecules are the smallest in existence. They escape through seals that hold methane, they embrittle certain metals over time, and they ignite across a wider range of fuel to air ratios than natural gas. The KG series incorporates hydrogen leak detectors positioned throughout the fuel delivery system and nitrogen purge mechanisms that inert the fuel lines during startup, shutdown, or fault conditions.
In November 2025, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Japan Suiso Energy broke ground on the Kawasaki LH2 Terminal in Ogishima, described by the partners as Japan’s first large scale liquid hydrogen import facility. The terminal will feature a 50,000 cubic meter liquid hydrogen storage tank, which the partners describe as the world’s largest, along with maritime cargo handling and truck dispatch capabilities. The facility is planned to begin operations by 2030.
The terminal is designed to serve as an import and bunkering hub for hydrogen produced overseas. Japan’s geographical constraints limit domestic renewable energy potential, making imported hydrogen a central pillar of the national energy strategy. The partners are simultaneously planning a 40,000 cubic meter liquid hydrogen carrier, a significant scale up from the 1,250 cubic meter Suiso Frontier that demonstrated the first hydrogen shipment from Australia to Japan in 2022.
Kei Nomura, Executive Central Manager of Kawasaki’s Hydrogen Strategy Division,told MEGSA:
“Liquid hydrogen is a vital key to realising a sustainable energy society, and we have long been committed to building the technological foundation to support it.”
Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a crucial fuel source in the Middle East due to its potential to decarbonise heavy industry, transport, and power generation. The region's abundant renewable resources, strategic location, and strong government commitment are positioning it as a global leader in hydrogen production and export. Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, offers zero carbon emissions.
Blue hydrogen, generated from natural gas with carbon capture and storage, serves as a transitional solution. The Middle East's high solar irradiance, existing export facilities, and proximity to major markets make it well-positioned to scale hydrogen production and export. Despite challenges such as high production costs and infrastructure needs, the region's unique advantages position it to capitalize on the global shift towards clean hydrogen, potentially meeting future energy demands not just domestically but also internationally.
More from
