According to an executive at Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the company expects to have the technology to transport hydrogen by ship by 2025.
The development by KSOE, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group’s shipbuilding arm, comes amid growing global interest in hydrogen as a cleaner fuel alternative. A significant challenge is keeping the hydrogen chilled at minus 253 degrees Celsius so that it remains liquid while avoiding the risk of vessel parts cracking.
Around 20 ships with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters are expected to be built in the decade beginning in 2030, and if demand increases, that number could rise to 200 larger vessels with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters by 2040. According to KSOE’s Yoo, in the early stages, ships transporting hydrogen would be fueled by LNG, but once the hydrogen market matured, the vessels could be powered entirely by hydrogen.
