Kawasaki’s world’s first centrifugal hydrogen compressor for liquefaction plants
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In February 2025, Kawasaki began construction of the KM Comp-H₂ demonstration facility at its Harima plant in Hyogo Prefecture; this is a centrifugal hydrogen compressor intended for use in the hydrogen liquefaction plants that are under development. The development and demonstration of this machine are being carried out as part of a Green Innovation Fund project aimed at developing large-scale, high-efficiency machinery for hydrogen liquefaction; this project is funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) (project name: Development of a Large-Scale Hydrogen Supply Chain/Innovation in Liquefaction, Hydrogenation, and Dehydrogenation Technologies/Development of Large-Scale, High-Efficiency Hydrogen Liquefaction Equipment). The manufacturing of the demonstration machine has been completed, and the construction of the demonstration facility has also begun. This is the world’s first centrifugal hydrogen compressor for hydrogen liquefaction plants (market research confirms that this technology is the first of its kind globally). The construction of the demonstration facility will continue, with completion planned for November 2025, followed by a one-year operational testing period. This machine is responsible for raising the pressure of the refrigeration hydrogen, which is used to cool the feed hydrogen used as a raw material for liquefied hydrogen. Improving the efficiency of the liquefaction process is crucial for reducing hydrogen supply costs. Leveraging its half-century of experience and expertise in compressors for the energy and resources sector, Kawasaki is developing a large-scale centrifugal hydrogen compressor for 100% pure hydrogen to improve liquefaction efficiency.
Compared to traditional hydrogen compressors, this machine achieves high efficiency, high pressure boosting, and a small footprint by employing technological innovations such as the development of new impellers (the key components of the machine) as well as a centrifugal design capable of handling large flow rates. The knowledge and data acquired during the development of this machine will also be applied to the development of centrifugal hydrogen compressors for hydrogen supply pipelines, and demand for these is expected to increase further as hydrogen energy expands. Features of the KM Comp-H₂ centrifugal hydrogen compressor: It offers significantly improved performance over existing hydrogen compressors – thanks to a newly developed impeller and ultra-high-speed rotation technology, which makes it possible to compress hydrogen, a gas with a low molecular weight, efficiently. By adopting a centrifugal design capable of handling high flow rates, the required installation area is reduced to one seventh compared to existing hydrogen compressors. Kawasaki is driving the development of the hydrogen supply chain, with a focus on the future expansion of hydrogen use. To achieve global carbon neutrality, the company will continue to actively pursue technological development related to the production, transportation, storage, and utilization of hydrogen.
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