Kawasaki’s liquified hydrogen carrier design gets ClassNK approval

A vessel proposed for construction will be equipped with four 40,000 cbm capacity liquefied hydrogen carrying tanks with a combined capacity of 160,000 cbm.

PHOTO: A model of the proposed Kawasaki's 160,000 cbm hydrogen carrier. Kawasaki

Shipping classification society ClassNK says it has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a liquified hydrogen carrier developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Kawasaki last year got the design approved by ClassNK for cargo containment system (CCS) which can store liquified hydrogen at temperature of -253°C and compress it to maximise volumes.

Hydrogen has been touted as a fuel for the future with powers to decarbonise even hard-to-abate sectors like shipping. But to store and transport hydrogen in commercial quantities, cryogenic temperatures of -253°C are required to convert it into a liquid, more compressed state.

CCS technology was successfully incorporated in Kawasaki's pilot ship, the 1,250 cbm capacity liquified hydrogen carrier Suiso Frontier, which became the first vessel to carry a hydrogen cargo in February this year.

Kawasaki says Suiso Frontier helped to gain substantial technological knowledge that will be drawn on when it sets out to build its newly proposed 160,000 cbm liquefied hydrogen carrier.

The 40,000 cbm tanks are the largest in its category, claims Kawasaki.