Innovative liquid hydrogen tank tech gets ABS AIP

Image: HD KSOE

In a development that validates large-scale liquid hydrogen tank technology for shipping, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS for a tank design that enables large-scale hydrogen transportation and storage.

ABS completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements.

“Hydrogen is a key enabler for decarbonization, playing critical roles as fuel, feedstock, energy storage and load balancing,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice president and CTO. “As demand grows, shipping will need advanced systems to support large-scale liquid hydrogen storage and transportation. This is an exciting milestone for HD KSOE, and ABS is proud to support such innovative technologies.”

The vacuum insulation system from HD KSOE is designed to reduce the time required to create a vacuum in large tanks, essential for transportation. The new technology allows maintaining a vacuum state at –253℃, which, KSOE says, enables safer and loss-free transport of large quantities of liquid hydrogen.

“HD KSOE has been dedicated to providing technological solutions for large-scale energy shipping such as LNG, LPG, ammonia, CO2, and now hydrogen,” said HD KSOE VP Dr. Byeongyong Yoo. “This hydrogen vacuum system solution and large-scale validation test are part of these efforts. We will continue collaborating with leading global companies to drive the energy transition and achieve net-zero goals.”

Global energy and shipping companies Woodside Energy, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Hyundai Glovis also participated in the validation test and are currently working with HD KSOE on the joint development of an 80,000 cubic meter liquid hydrogen carrier.

Jason Crusan, VP energy solutions at Woodside Energy, said: “This is a key achievement which builds confidence that liquid hydrogen ships can be efficiently designed and constructed in a shipyard environment.”

Jotaro Tamura, senior managing executive officer at MOL, said: “This verification test was a major milestone in the study of transporting liquefied hydrogen, where one of the major issues was the need to increase the size of the tank, and is an important step toward commercialization.”

Chio Kwon, VP and head of shipping business support group with Hyundai Glovis said: “Achieving this remarkable milestone as the world’s first to successfully verify tank scale-up, HD KSOE has demonstrated the dedication and innovation of the research. We hope this achievement serves as a strong foundation for future advancements in the field.”