Japanese moving ahead with larger liquefied hydrogen carriers

The tech country, Japan, is working towards large-sized Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) carriers. The approval in principle issued by the ClassNK for a dual fuel generator engine (runs on hydrogen gas as fuel) and 160000 cu m liquefied hydrogen carrier developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI). As per KHI, the engine is designed as such to switch between low-sulfur fuel and hydrogen. The engine has a unique feature that when the hydrogen fuel is selected, the boil-off gas evaporates naturally from the liquefied hydrogen tanks available on the ship and is used as the main fuel at a calorie-based mixed ratio of 95% or higher to generate and supply electricity onboard.

On similar lines, Shell International Trading and Shipping Company has signed an MoU with Alfa Laval to develop a new gas combustion unit for liquid hydrogen carriers. As per the statement by Carl Henrickson, general manager of shipping technology, it is the renewable hydrogen that would be the key fuel for de-carbonization but accessibility is the key to the development. He further said that to have safe sea transport and low carbon emissions, liquid hydrogen can help speed up the global transition to clean energy.