AIP awarded to South Korean-designed hydrogen carrier

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) companies Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) have received the necessary approval in principle (AIP) for a 20,000-cubic-metre liquefied hydrogen carrier from the Liberian Registry as flag state and Korean Register as class society.

HHI claims this ship design will be the world’s first large size liquefied hydrogen carrier.

The key elements of this joint industry project (JIP) are the KSOE-developed liquefied hydrogen cargo treatment system and a hydrogen boil-off gas (BOG) treatment system using fuel cells. HMD advanced the basic design of the ship while Hyundai Glovis and G-Marine Service analysed the economics and safety of liquefied hydrogen during storage and transportation.

The ship design is characterised by the use of a double-structured, vacuum-insulated tank to improve insulation and minimise hydrogen BOG generated during operation. In addition, by adopting an electric propulsion system, hydrogen BOG can be used as fuel for fuel cells in the future.

In order to transport a large amount of hydrogen by ship, a liquefaction process that reduces the volume to 1/800 and increases stability is essential. Since hydrogen liquefies at a cryogenic temperature of -253 degrees Celsius, which is lower than LNG that liquefies at -163 degrees Celsius, a liquefied hydrogen carrier needs advanced cryogenic technology to stably preserve it.