Moss Maritime's LH2 carrier containment system concept gets DNV approval

Norwegian marine tech firm Moss Maritime has developed concept of a liquid hydrogen (LH2) containment tank for its planned LH2 carriers.

PHOTO: Moss Maritime's concept of a liquid hydrogen carrier vessel. Moss Maritime

Moss Maritime, owned by Italian oilfield services major Saipem, plans to build ships to transport LH2. An approval from the classification society DNV for the company's prototype LH2 containment system marks a significant milestone for the project, which aims to simplify LH2 storage onboard vessels.

The approved LH2 containment system design is based on the company's existing LNG spherical containment system, Moss Maritime said, without specifying the total storage capacity.

Hydrogen’s storage conundrum

Hydrogen can be used as a fuel to power short-sea vessels and produce cleaner marine fuels like ammonia and methanol.

However, its low volumetric energy density complicates its transportation and storage on vessels. It needs to be stored either in a compressed form at high pressure (350-700 bar) or in a cryogenic form at very low temperatures (−252.8°C), to ensure it does not escape into the atmosphere during transport.

To meet these stringent requirements, Moss Maritime modified its LNG containment system to hold LH2 at a cryogenic temperature of -253°C.

Moss Maritime co-developed the design with Norwegian research institute SINTEF, with funding from the Research Council, the Norwegian government's arm for funding research. The project has also received support from oil and gas majors Shell, TotalEnergies, and Equinor.

“Moss is partnering with ship operators and energy majors in the effort to develop ship designs that shall meet tomorrow’s need for transport of emission free fuel,” Moss Maritime stated on its website.

DNV’s nod has opened the door to safe, commercial and large-scale shipping of hydrogen, which is a zero-carbon source of energy, said Stephen Brown, technology manager at Shell.

By Konica Bhatt

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