Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for their innovative vacuum-insulated large-scale liquid hydrogen (LH₂) tank system. This achievement marked the world’s first technical validation of large-scale LH₂ tank insulation design through successful testing of a large-scale vacuum chamber. The vacuum insulation system addresses key challenges in the maritime industry related to the scalability of liquefied hydrogen storage and transportation.
Storing liquid hydrogen at -253°C while minimizing boil-off gas necessitates vacuum-insulated tanks, akin to thermos flasks. However, implementing this on a large scale in ships is a technical challenge that has not been proven. For instance, NASA’s largest LH₂ tank holds 5,000 m³, but ship-based applications may require tanks over four times larger. HD KSOE’s vacuum system offers an innovative solution that significantly reduces the time needed to achieve a vacuum in large tanks.
Global industry players, including Woodside Energy, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), and Hyundai Glovis, collaborated in the design development and validation of the system. The results were shared with these companies and international classification societies, such as LR, confirming a noteworthy reduction in vacuum time in shipyards. This advancement in LH₂ tank technology paves the way for more efficient and effective storage and transportation of hydrogen in the maritime sector.
