HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received approval in principle (AIP) from the class society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a tank design that enables large-scale hydrogen transport and storage.
The vacuum insulation system from HD KSOE is designed to reduce the time required to create a vacuum in large tanks, essential for transportation.
“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 chief technology officer. “As demand grows, shipping will need advanced systems to support large-scale liquid hydrogen storage and transportation.”
Dr. Byeongyong Yoo, vice president, HD KSOE, said: “HD KSOE has been dedicated to providing technological solutions for large-scale energy shipping such as LNG, LPG, Ammonia, CO2, and now hydrogen.”
“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,” Byeongyong Yoo added.
The project has garnered significant attention from the shipping industry, with Woodside Energy, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Hyundai Glovis participating in the validation test.
The companies are also working with HD KSOE on the joint development of an 80,000 cbm liquid hydrogen carrier.
“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,” noted Jotaro Tamura, senior managing executive officer of M.O.L.
