Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Romania's Transgaz sign MOU on onshore hydrogen transport

Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding with Romania's state-controlled natural gas transmission system operator Transgaz on onshore hydrogen gas transport, the company said. The MOU was announced at the Romania-Japan Innovation Forum 2026 in Tokyo, according to B2B Marketplace.

Kawasaki and Transgaz Combine Compressors and Pipelines

The partners plan to combine Transgaz's pipeline experience and expertise with Kawasaki's centrifugal hydrogen compressor technology for Central and Eastern Europe. The companies will work together to realize the large-scale transport of hydrogen gas via onshore pipelines that Transgaz envisions for the region. The collaboration is intended to strengthen Romania's role as an energy hub in Central and Eastern Europe and establish a model for the safe and stable supply and transport of hydrogen to neighboring countries.

As the first phase, Kawasaki plans to begin demonstration tests in Romania for the onshore transport of pure hydrogen gas using its centrifugal hydrogen compressor, KM Comp-H2. The demonstration will be carried out as the "Romania / Hydrogen Supply Chain FS Demonstration Project: Centrifugal Hydrogen Compressor for Onshore Hydrogen Gas Transport," which was selected to be part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's FY2024 Supplementary Budget "Future-Oriented Co-Creation with the Global South" program, covering support for Ukraine's reconstruction and strengthening collaboration with Central and Eastern European countries. The demonstration will be the world's first initiative aimed at realizing large-scale hydrogen gas transport via pipelines, according to the company.

Kawasaki said reducing hydrogen supply costs is essential to the widespread adoption of hydrogen energy worldwide, and that expectations are growing for onshore pipelines capable of transporting large volumes of hydrogen efficiently. One of the key challenges is the need for technology that can efficiently compress large volumes of pure hydrogen gas to high pressures within a limited space. Through the demonstration project, Kawasaki will leverage its expertise in centrifugal hydrogen compressors developed over the years to help realize efficient onshore hydrogen gas transportation. Kawasaki aims to establish large-scale hydrogen gas transport via pipelines and, by linking this technology with its hydrogen products including turbines, engines, carrier vessels and tanks, to build a hydrogen supply chain.

Kawasaki's Robot and Hospital Work Before the MOU

Kawasaki Heavy Industries unveiled a four-legged robot prototype on October 6, 2026, that uses electromagnets to climb ship hulls and weld seams, with testing at Sakaide Works in 2027 and practical use targeted around 2028, Ubergizmo reported. Kawasaki Heavy Industries plans to release a fully autonomous humanoid robot powered by AI by 2030, using a physical AI platform being developed in Japan, Nikkei Asia reported; the company has been developing the Kaleido humanoid robot since 2015. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has begun mass production of hospital robots that transport medical samples and medications, including the Forro, Nikkei Asia reported.

Kawasaki's 2030 Humanoid Robot Target

Kawasaki Heavy Industries plans to release a fully autonomous humanoid robot powered by AI by 2030, using a physical AI platform being developed in Japan, according to Nikkei Asia. The company has been developing the Kaleido humanoid robot since 2015.