Japan Builds The World’s First Liquid Hydrogen Tanker

Japan Completes The World’s First Tanker Capable of Transporting Liquid Hydrogen. The Vessel Has Already Entered The Testing Phase and Arrived on The 20th of This Month at The Port of Hastings

The world’s first liquid hydrogen tanker is preparing to make its first test voyage with cargo, from Japan to Australia. The cargo ship is named Suiso Frontier and will transport hydrogen produced by the HESC joint venture, supported by Japan and Australia. The tanker was developed by the Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries and will be managed by Shell/STASCO. The vessel had been ready to enter the testing phase for about a year, but due to the pandemic, the tests had to be postponed.

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Liquid Hydrogen Tanker Makes Its First Voyage

The vessel manufactured in Japan arrived on the 20th of this month at the Port of Hastings in Victoria, after a journey that took about 16 days initially projected due to unpredictable weather at sea.

Within a week, the ship will return to Japan, this time loaded with hydrogen, on a trip expected to take about two weeks. The liquid hydrogen to be transported by the tanker was generated from the reaction of a type of coal, known as lignite, with oxygen and steam, under high pressure and temperatures. Shortly after, it was cooled to remain in a liquefied state, which is a significant advantage as its volume reduces to 1/800, being transported on the tanker from Japan at a temperature of -253°C.

Production Goal: 225,000 Tons of Hydrogen Annually

The HESC joint venture was created to help Japan and Australia utilize renewable energy and reduce their emissions. The mission is to produce about 225,000 tons of hydrogen annually, an energy source that many believe will aid in the decarbonization of industries that rely on coal, oil, and gas.

Recently, the Australian government granted €12.7 million for the joint venture to test a carbon capture and storage project for the CO2 released in the process of creating hydrogen through coal, so that a product neutral in emissions can be created.

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) estimates that this tanker technology will be stronger by 2025, aiming for a significant advance in fuel supply, pointed by some as an important source of clean energy. The company’s announcement comes amid growing interest from several companies to launch hydrogen as a cleaner fuel alternative.

Hydrogen Shows Great Potential in All Sectors

Do you think it’s innovative to transport liquid hydrogen by ship? What if I told you that there is a company planning to build hypersonic airplanes with the fuel? Hypersonix, an Australian company focused on building engines for hypersonic aircraft, recently announced that it has found the best material for its hydrogen engine Spartan.

Its propulsion system will have the capacity to accelerate the company’s Delta-Velos model at speeds over Mach 5. Although the engine is still a concept, the Australian company is forming various partnerships with universities, Boeing, BOC, and also with Siemens, which will provide the computational fluid dynamics simulation systems.