AsiaGas

Kawasaki Heavy readies larger hydrogen carrier designs

Officials from Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) said yesterday a landmark pilot project to ship liquefied hydrogen from Australia had proven that the new seaborne trade is technically feasible.

Earlier this year, the KHI-built Suiso Frontier (pictured), the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, took a cargo of hydrogen created from brown coal in Australia to Japan, arriving in Kobe late last month.

“The demonstration covered from production and transport to loading and storage proved that the technological foundations have been laid for the future use of hydrogen as an energy source in the same way as liquefied natural gas,” Motohiko Nishimura, KHI’s executive officer, told reporters.

“Equipment and facilities that can be operated safely is also a game-changing technology for the clean energy business,” Nishimura said.

KHI said it aims to build a much larger hydrogen vessel soon.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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