The world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier left Japan on Friday to pick up its first cargo in Australia in a project that has been delayed this year by Covid-19.
Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), which is in charge of the project, is looking at building more ships to carry this ultra-chilled substance.
The world’s first LH2 carrier, the Suiso Frontier, built by KHI, carries cargo cooled to –253°C; at this temperature, hydrogen is at atmospheric pressure and occupies just 1/800 of its original vapour volume. Suiso Frontier has one, 1,250 cu m vacuum-insulated, Type C storage tank with KHI now working on creating larger designs.
The hydrogen has been produced by a prototype brown coal gasification facility at Port of Hastings in Victoria, South Australia.
