HD KSOE gets seals of approval for hydrogen tank technology

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), a shipbuilding intermediate holding company of HD Hyundai, has obtained approvals in principle (AiPs) from four major classification societies, Lloyd’s Register (LR), the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the Korean Register (KR), for its vacuum insulation system for liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks.

Earlier, the company received approval from DNV for its LH2 storage tank welding procedure specification (WPS). With this, HD Hyundai, reportedly, became the first company in South Korea to secure expertise in material selection, verification and welding techniques required for LH2 storage tanks.

According to HD Hyundai, hydrogen’s commercialization has been hindered by the lack of advanced technology to design and construct large LH2 storage tanks for ships.

“To build such tanks, standardized welding procedures and evaluation criteria using special materials are essential. However, no formal regulatory guidelines existed until now. Moreover, reducing the boil-off rate of LH₂, over nine times higher than LNG, necessitates a vacuum-insulated tank. Nonetheless, the process of achieving this vacuum involves significant time with existing technology, presenting challenges in scaling up tank sizes,” HD Hyundai explained.

To tackle these challenges, HD KSOE partnered with DNV in a joint development project in August 2024. As disclosed, the company developed detailed standards for LH2 storage tanks, including welding procedures and evaluation criteria, securing approval from classification societies.

HD KSOE also developed its own vacuum insulation system. This development is said to enable LH2 storage tanks to sustain a vacuum state even at –253°C during ship operations, ensuring the secure transport of significant volumes of LH2 without loss. In addition, the time required to create a vacuum has been shortened, reducing the process from months to days, HD Hyundai claimed.

A representative from HD KSOE stated: “The transition to a hydrogen-based society is an inevitable trend. HD KSOE will continue to lead advancements in hydrogen transport and storage technology by sea, accelerating the path toward hydrogen commercialization.”

It is worth mentioning that, in February 2024, HD KSOE signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Woodside Energy, Hyundai Glovis and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to collaborate on the development of the LH2 transportation value chain.