Kobe Steel completes liquid hydrogen open rack vaporizer demonstration test

Jul. 16, 2025

Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Kobe Steel, Ltd. announces that it completed a demonstration test^*1 of its Open Rack Vaporizer (ORV)^*2 for liquid hydrogen at the Company’s production site Takasago Works (Hyogo Prefecture, Japan) in March.

In this demonstration, the newly developed ORV for liquid hydrogen stably achieved the specified vaporization performance targets—namely, the vaporized gas flow rate and temperature— throughout continuous operation. Following the successful completion of this demonstration test, we are now ready to deliver the following three types of liquid hydrogen vaporizers to the market.

Liquid Hydrogen ORV & Hydrogen utilization

The Kobe Steel Group, also known as the Kobelco Group, is working on two priority issues: (1) enhancing earning power and pursuing growth and (2) taking on the challenge of realizing carbon neutrality, as set out in the Medium-Term Management Plan (Fiscal 2024–2026). As part of this effort, we are promoting an initiative called KOBELCO-X^*5, which spans a wide range of transformations. The demonstration of the liquid hydrogen open rack vaporizer is linked to AX (Ambidexterity) and GX (Green transformation), as it helps reduce CO₂ emissions during combustion and replace carbon-intensive fuels used in the industrial furnace with hydrogen by providing vaporized hydrogen gas for combustion testing in a heating furnace at Takasago Works and for other purposes. Utilizing our demonstration facilities, we will continue to explore hydrogen applications and new business opportunities.

This successful demonstration will pave the way for gaining new business opportunities by demonstrating our comprehensive capabilities that enable both hydrogen production and utilization (an AX effort), while also contributing to decarbonization through reducing CO₂ emissions in the production process by making a new liquid hydrogen vaporizer available (a GX effort).

In addition to developing a wide range of technologies related to hydrogen supply (“production”), we are also actively conducting demonstrations of fuel-based applications (“utilization”) at our own plants, which have the potential to become large-scale hydrogen utilization facilities. By leveraging insights from both the production and utilization perspectives, our Group will continue to provide unique, optimal solutions and contribute to achieving a hydrogen society, as we strive for a world in which people, now and in the future, can fulfill their hopes and dreams while enjoying safe, secure, and prosperous lives.

Vaporizing volume by application