DNV awards Approval in Principle (AiP) to KSOE for vacuum-insulated large-scale liquefied hydrogen tank technology

DNV has awarded an AiP to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its innovative vacuum-insulated large-scale liquefied hydrogen tank, another advancement in providing practical storage solutions for liquefied hydrogen (LH2).

Developing cost-effective and flexible large-scale liquid hydrogen storage with higher safety, and lower operational and capital cost is essential if LH2 is to realize its promise for decarbonizing industries such as transportation, shipping, and power generation. By bridging the gap between hydrogen production and end-user consumption, large scale storage can enable global energy resilience and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a key part of the energy transition.

One of the challenges in developing large scale LH2 storage is achieving and maintaining vacuum insulation in large tanks. HD KSOE have addressed this by creating a new method that significantly reduces the time needed to create a vacuum, an essential part of making larger tanks viable. Their solution was successfully tested using a large chamber and makes HD KSOE the first shipbuilder in the world to demonstrate the viability of this approach.

Jason Crusan, VP Energy Solutions at Woodside Energy said, “This is a key achievement which builds confidence that liquid hydrogen ships can be efficiently designed and constructed in a shipyard environment.”

Jotaro Tamura, Senior Management Executive Officer at MOL said, “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 towards commercialization.”

Chi O, Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai Glovis stated, "Achieving this remarkable milestone as the world’s first to successfully verify tank scale-up, HD KSOE has demonstrated the dedication and innovation of the research. We hope this achievement serves as a strong foundation for future advancements in the field."

Dr. Byeongyong Yoo, Vice President at HD KSOE, commented, “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.”

“With the award of this AiP we take another big step forward in in the journey toward realizing a global hydrogen economy,” said Vidar Dolonen, DNV Regional Manager for Korea and Japan. “This ongoing collaboration with innovative partners like HD KSOE, shows how through collective effort we can drive progress on some of the most technical challenges of the new zero carbon economy, and set the stage for safer and more efficient hydrogen transport, as the world shifts toward cleaner energy sources.”

The testing was observed by representatives from Woodside Energy, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Hyundai Glovis, and DNV. KSOE is also working together with Woodside Energy to develop 80,000-cubic-meter liquefied hydrogen carriers equipped with the large hydrogen tanks, part of a broader ongoing collaboration aimed at developing an integrated maritime transportation value chain for large scale liquid hydrogen.