Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines has joined up with Australian energy company Woodside, South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Korean shipowner Hyundai Glovis to jointly study shipping liquefied hydrogen.
The four companies have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding.
Woodside, HD KSOE and Hyundai Glovis had been working together on this since 2022 and approached MOL to join their study.
MOL said the companies will study the technology, safety, construction, operation and economics of a liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carrier with 80,000 cbm tank capacity, with the aim of establishing a liquefied hydrogen supply chain in Asia and other regions.
“If a project results from the MoU, the parties’ aspiration is to have the vessel built and in operation by 2030,” MOL said.
The LH2 carrier would, under its concept design, use hydrogen as its main fuel, which would significantly reduce CO2 emissions during operation.
But MOL pointed out that LH2 takes up about 1/800th the volume of hydrogen gas and must be cooled to -253°C, which requires advanced technology.
MOL said that if a project results from the MoU, Woodside would be responsible for producing hydrogen and storing it at loading and discharging ports.
HD KSOE would design and build the vessel, and Hyundai Glovis and MOL would be responsible for providing ship operational input into the vessel design, including logistics, propulsion, storage and cargo handling.
“Hydrogen, a lower-carbon energy source, is attracting a great deal of attention as the world seeks to move toward decarbonisation,” MOL said.
“Demand for the transport of liquefied hydrogen is expected to rise in the coming decades.”
