The South Korean Government, through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will allocate the equivalent of US$39.5 million in funding for the development of what will be the first liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carrier to be built in South Korea.
The LH2 carrier will be developed by a partnership formed by local shipbuilders Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Samsung Heavy Industries. The Hydrogen Ship Technology Centre of Pusan National University will serve as the lead partner on the project, which will also involve numerous local universities and research organisations.
The initial demonstration ship will have a total capacity of 2,000 cubic metres. Future plans also include the construction of two larger LH2 carriers with capacities of 40,000 cubic metres and 160,000 cubic metres, respectively.
The follow-on ships are scheduled to become operational during the 2032-2040 timeframe. Notable features on the ships will include cargo tanks that can store LH2 at minus 253 degrees Celsius.