KHI Develops World’s Largest Volume Cargo Storage Facility For Large Liquefied Hydrogen Carriers

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed the world’s largest volume (40,000m 3 class/1 unit) cargo storage facility (CCS: cargo containment system) to be mounted on a large liquefied hydrogen carrier and has approved the basic design AiP (Approval in Principle). It was acquired from the Japan Maritime Association.

The cargo storage facility that acquired AiP this time is for transporting a large amount of cryogenic liquefied hydrogen whose volume has been reduced to 1/800 by cooling to minus 253°C and is used as a marine liquefied hydrogen cargo storage facility. It is the largest volume in the world.

This equipment is a new type of heat insulation developed by utilizing the design/construction technology and safety technology of the 1,250m 3 type liquefied hydrogen carrier “Suiso Frontia” (*1) that we built for the first time in the world. It is a cargo storage facility with a structure.

Image Credits: khi.co.jp

This AiP is based on the IGC code (*2), the provisional recommendation for bulk transportation of liquefied hydrogen by the International Maritime Organization (*3), the ship classification rules, and the risk assessment results using the HAZID (Hazard Identification Study) analysis method (*4). It is given by the main features of this cargo storage facility are as follows:

1. In order to realize mass transportation of cryogenic liquefied hydrogen, the tank volume is the same as that of a large LNG carrier.
2. A self-supporting system independent of the hull has been adopted to realize a structure that flexibly responds to heat shrinkage during the loading of liquefied hydrogen at extremely low temperatures.
3. In order to reduce the boil-off gas (BOG) generated by the invading heat from the outside, a newly developed high-performance heat insulation system is adopted.
4. Boil-off gas naturally generated from cargo storage equipment is effectively used as propulsion fuel for ships, contributing to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions related to liquefied hydrogen transportation.

We are developing this cargo storage facility as part of the NEDO subsidy project (*5), and are currently putting a 160,000m 3 type large liquefied hydrogen carrier equipped with four of these cargo storage facilities into practical use in the mid- 2020s. We are developing for. As the early realization of carbon neutrality is required all over the world, we have realized mass transportation of liquefied hydrogen, which is expected to increase in demand as clean energy, with this large liquefied hydrogen carrier, and promoted decarbonization by popularizing hydrogen energy. Contribute to the affluent life of people around the world and the future of the global environment.

Overview of cargo storage equipment

• Tank method: Independent tank
• Diameter: About 43m
• Volume: About 40,000m 3
• Large liquefied hydrogen carrier (cargo storage volume: 40,000m 3 x 4 units installed image)

*1
The Technology Research Association CO2- Free Hydrogen Supply Chain Promotion Organization ( http://www.hystra.or.jp/ ) is a member of the National Research and Development Corporation New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO ) . Unused brown coal-derived hydrogen Large-scale marine transportation supply chain construction demonstration project ”.

*2
International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk. It is compulsorily applied to all liquefied gas carriers built after 1986 , and is also incorporated into the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai Steel Ship Regulations.

*3
Provisional requirements for bulk transportation of liquefied hydrogen adopted by the International Maritime Organization.

*4
One of the risk evaluation methods that determines the frequency of occurrence of potential risk factors in the system through discussions among experts and extracts coping measures to reduce the frequency of occurrence.

*5
Implemented in NEDO’s “Hydrogen Society Construction Technology Development Project Large-scale Hydrogen Energy Utilization Technology Development Large-scale Transport and Storage Equipment for Liquefied Hydrogen and Development for Acceptance Base Equipment”.

Reference: khi.co.jp

Source: Maritime Shipping News