GTT revealed today (July 28) the AiPs cover the design of a liquid hydrogen membrane type containment system, and for the preliminary design of a liquid hydrogen carrier vessel.
Coming as part of an agreement with Shell, announced in February 2022 to develop scalable and safe liquified hydrogen shipping technologies, the approvals set the course for the next stages of the project.
Read more: Shell, GTT team up on liquid hydrogen technologies for the maritime industry
With liquid hydrogen offering an opportunity to transport large volumes of the clean energy carrier in its liquified form at -253oC (-423oF), it is widely thought that use sub-cooled hydrogen could be a key factor in unlocking the energy transition.
Commenting on the approvals, Phillipe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, said, “We are very proud to have received these approvals from DNV, with whom GTT has had a close partnership for many years.
“Our liquid hydrogen carrier development project with Shell is very promising and this first step confirms the reliability and relevance of our solutions as well as our determination to make this technology viable and quickly available to maritime transport and energy players.”
Johan Tutturen, Vice-President Business Development Manager for CO2 and H2 carriers of DNV maritime, added, “We are very pleased to have been asked by GTT to work on these AiPs. Hydrogen, as an energy carrier and a fuel, is potentially one of the foundations of the energy transition.
“As such it is essential that industry is able to pursue the enabling technologies safely and with confidence. An AiP can help build this confidence by demonstrating that new solutions have been assessed based on long-standing, trusted and independent standards.”
Carl Henrickson, General Manager Shipping & Maritime Technology, Innovation & Digitalisation of Shell International Trading and Shipping Company, said, “Shell is excited to be collaborating with GTT to deliver this ground breaking work.
“As we see it development of liquid hydrogen cargo containment systems is a key enabler to accelerating the energy transition for hard to abate sectors. We have been working with GTT since the early days of the first LNG carrier development, and it is great to see how their expertise can be applied to enabling liquid hydrogen transport.
“The efforts made by all to get this new membrane containment system through this key development hurdle has been considerable and a testament to the great working relationship between all involved. This technology will support the safe and efficient scaling of bulk liquid hydrogen transport by sea, which in turn will help unlock hydrogen as a fuel source for the future.”
Large volume liquid hydrogen releases: Key results and outcome of modelling exercises
Decarbonising shipping and transportation remains a significant challenge as storing electrical energy from renewables in significant capacity makes it of little use against the requirements of running a ship at sea where space and load requirements inhibit battery options. Liquid hydrogen (LH2), commonly used as fuel in the space industry, forms one potential solution where the required energy density/volume can feasibly be met for ships of all sizes1.
However, its use in the maritime sector poses significant technical and safety challenges around the scale of operations, number of usage points, and its proximity to personnel. Potentially critical scenarios for LH2 on ships can be described through a variety of phenomena including outflow, dispersion, accumulation, cryogenic exposure, ignition potential, explosion, and fire.
Click here to keep reading.