France – GTT, TotalEnergies, LMG Marin, and Bureau Veritas have joined forces to form a consortium that will create a vessel for transporting liquid hydrogen.
The plan calls for up to 150,000 cubic meters of liquid hydrogen to be shipped by sea. The membrane containment system will be created by GTT, a specialist in liquefied gas storage, and TotalEnergies will provide the vessel’s specifications. Based on the specifications established by TotalEnergies, LMG Marin will create a hydrogenic concept, and Bureau Veritas will conduct a risk analysis and regulatory review.
To become liquid, hydrogen must be chilled to -253°C, which creates significant storage issues and demands for tank insulation. Due to its high volatility and ease of escape in the gaseous state, the hydrogen molecule adds to the infrastructure and cost issues that the gas faces. However, proponents of hydrogen contend that it is a response to industry and transportation sector decarbonization mandates.
Hydrogen value chain
According to GTT, continents like Europe or some Asian nations may need to import hydrogen in the future to supplement home production. Its large-scale liquefied maritime transport is regarded as one of the industry’s major technological problems.
By working together, the consortium hopes to lower risks and hasten the adoption of the hydrogen value chain. The “Hydrogener” vessel, which tackles a critical infrastructure problem, is a significant technological advancement that makes it possible to transport hydrogen on a massive scale. As a promising opportunity for the future, the project is one to keep an eye on in the hydrogen sector.
