TotalEnergies, BV, GTT and LMG Marin to develop large-scale LH2 carrier

French energy major TotalEnergies, classification society Bureau Veritas (BV), LNG containment specialist GTT and ship designer LMG Marin have joined forces to develop a large-scale liquid hydrogen (LH2) carrier.

As disclosed, the partners signed a joint development project to work on a 150,000 cbm vessel which will be fitted with GTT’s membrane-type containment system.

TotalEnergies will work on defining the vessel’s specifications including operational profile while GTT will design the membrane containment system, considering the constraints related to liquefied hydrogen.

Meanwhile, LMG Marin will define the concept design of the LH2 carrier adapted to TotalEnergies’ specifications and taking into account the constraints related to the membrane containment system.

The role of Bureau Veritas will be to conduct a risk assessment and review the design in accordance with the latest regulatory requirements and will ensure it meets Bureau Veritas’ rules with the goal to deliver an Approval in Principle (AiP).

“We are very proud and excited to join forces with TotalEnergies, LMG Marin and Bureau Veritas to take up this ambitious technological and environmental challenge for the maritime transport of liquefied hydrogen. GTT’s ability to design a disruptive technology adapted to large-scale vessels is a major step forward for the development of the hydrogen sector. This partnership and the associated R&D efforts are part of the GTT Group’s ambition to develop technologies to help build a sustainable world,” Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, said.

“Complementary industry players working together is an effective approach to de-risking and accelerating the deployment of the hydrogen value chain. We are confident that this JDP will shed light on the prospects of transporting hydrogen at scale in liquefied form,” Mansur Zhakupov, VP of Hydrogen at TotalEnergies, noted.

“Hydrogen is a crucial component of the energy transition and holds great promise for our industry. As a class society, we recognise our responsibility to support the safe development of innovative projects like this, and we are committed to ensuring that this project meets the highest safety and environmental standards,” Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, commented.

TotalEnergies is investing massively in renewable energy and clean and sustainable fuels, with one third of its investments now being made in these sectors.

Low-carbon hydrogen offers a promising solution to decarbonise hard-to-electrify industries as well as heavy-duty terrestrial mobility, long-distance aviation and maritime shipping.

Hydrogen is also a solution for large-scale energy storage and could be used to generate distributable power to complement intermittent solar and wind power sources. In the future, continents such as Europe or some Asian countries may need to import hydrogen on a large scale to complement domestic production.

The ability to transport by sea very large volumes of hydrogen in the liquefied form at -253°C is one of the major technological challenges to be overcome to set up a reliable, efficient and competitive global carbon-free hydrogen value chain.

The JDP partners aim to leverage their combined know-how to develop a large-scale LH2 carrier concept that can be implemented on an industrial scale for the maritime transport of liquefied hydrogen.

“Out-of-the-box thinking is key to allow the transport of such quantity of liquid hydrogen on board this unique vessel. LMG Marin will be able to share its LH2 experience with the HYDRA project, the world’s first vessel powered by liquid hydrogen currently in operation in Norway. This confirms that emission reductions initiatives and highly innovative projects are part of the company’s DNA,” Vincent Rudelle, Managing Director of LMG Marin France, stated.

To remind, MF Hydra, the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered ferry operated by Norwegian company Norled, was recently on its first zero-emission voyage.

Delivered in 2021, MF Hydra is 82.4 metres long with a capacity of up to 300 passengers and 80 cars. It will be able to reach a speed of 9 knots with fuel cells of 2×200 kW and generators and 2×440 kW which will power Shottel thrusters.

The ferry is equipped with an 80 cbm tank for hydrogen storage and is expected to reduce its annual carbon emissions by up to 95%.