Japan-Germany trio plans liquid hydrogen imports to Hamburg by 2030s

German energy supplier MB Energy, truck maker Daimler, and Japanese conglomerate Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) plan to begin importing liquid hydrogen to Germany’s Port of Hamburg in the early 2030s.

Under a newly signed joint development agreement (JDA), the trio will undertake studies aimed at building up the supply of the molecule to Port of Hamburg, with hopes of starting commercial operations by the “early 2030s.”

Specific details of where the group will source liquid hydrogen, or intended volumes, remain undisclosed.

MB Energy operates fuel terminals in the Port of Hamburg, as well as hydrogen refuelling stations across Northwest Europe; Daimler plans to deploy 100 liquid hydrogen fuel cell trucks by the end of 2026; and KHI is developing liquid hydrogen ships and import infrastructure in Japan.

Daimler’s Head of Regulatory Strategy, Manfred Schuckert, said scaling hydrogen trucking would only be possible with a supply of “reliable and competitive” liquid hydrogen.

It comes after KHI and Daimler signed a with Hamburg Hafen und Logistik to explore importing liquid hydrogen into Hamburg for onward transport by road or rail. It’s unclear whether the JDA replaces or supplements the earlier deal.

Europe’s high electricity costs are seen as a major barrier to the continent producing its own green hydrogen at competitive costs to meet its decarbonisation targets.

Imported hydrogen from renewables-rich regions is being viewed as a way to bridge that gap, with proponents claiming it could beat domestic production despite increased transport and storage costs.

With a low volumetric density, unless compressed or liquefied, hydrogen requires a substantial amount of storage space and is prone to leakage. Carriers such as ammonia have been hailed as potential transportation solutions.

However, KHI has been pursuing liquid hydrogen transportation. In 2021, the Japanese major shipped hydrogen from Australia to Japan on board its self-developed .

It also began construction of a 50,000m³ at Japan’s port of Ogishima, and in January 2026, it set sights on building the “” liquified hydrogen carrier vessel in collaboration with Japan Suiso Energy.