Woodside Energy - Experts & Thought Leaders

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has received ABS approval in principle (AIP) for a tank design that enables large-scale hydrogen transport and storage. Vacuum insulation system HD KSOE's vacuum insulation system is designed to reduce the time required to create a vacuum in large tanks, which is essential for transportation. The new technology allows maintaining a vacuum state at –253℃, which KSOE says enables safer and loss-free transport of large quantities of liquid hydrogen. ABS completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements. Liquid hydrogen storage and transportation “Hydrogen is a key enabler for decarbonisation, playing critical roles as fuel, feedstock, energy storage, and load balancing,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. "As demand grows, shipping will need advanced systems to support large-scale liquid hydrogen storage and transportation. This is an exciting milestone for HD KSOE, and ABS is proud to support such innovative technologies." Energy transition Dr. Byeongyong Yoo, Vice President, of HD KSOE, said, “HD KSOE has been dedicated to providing technological solutions for large-scale energy shipping, such as LNG, LPG, Ammonia, CO2, and now hydrogen." "These efforts include this hydrogen vacuum system solution and large-scale validation test. We will continue collaborating with leading global companies to drive the energy transition and achieve net-zero goals.” Validation test Woodside Energy, MOL, and Hyundai Glovis participated in the validation test and are currently working with HD KSOE Global energy and shipping companies Woodside Energy, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Hyundai Glovis also participated in the validation test and are currently working with HD KSOE on the joint development of an 80,000 cbm liquid hydrogen carrier. Jason Crusan, Vice President of Energy Solutions at Woodside Energy, said, “This is a key achievement that builds confidence that liquid hydrogen ships can be efficiently designed and constructed in a shipyard environment.” A step to commercialisation Jotaro Tamura, Senior Managing Executive Officer of M.O.L. said, “This verification test was a major milestone in the study of transporting liquefied hydrogen, where one of the major issues was the need to increase the size of the tank, and is an important step toward commercialisation.” Chio Kwon, Vice President and Head of the Shipping Business Support Group with Hyundai Glovis said, “Achieving this remarkable milestone as the world’s first to verify tank scale-up successfully, HD KSOE has demonstrated the dedication and innovation of the research." Decarbonisation and sustainability "We hope this achievement is a strong foundation for future advancements in the field.” ABS is the world’s premier classification society for gas carriers with more than 50 years of experience, and ABS is pioneering the maritime industry in comprehensive decarbonisation and sustainability solutions.

DNV has awarded an AiP to HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for its innovative vacuum-insulated large-scale liquefied hydrogen tank, another advancement in providing practical storage solutions for liquefied hydrogen (LH2). Large-scale liquid hydrogen storage Developing cost-effective and flexible large-scale liquid hydrogen storage with higher safety, and lower operational and capital cost is essential if LH2 is to realise its promise for decarbonising industries, such as transportation, shipping, and power generation.  By bridging the gap between hydrogen production and end-user consumption, large-scale storage can enable global energy resilience and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a key part of the energy transition. LH2 storage challenges Their solution was successfully tested using a large chamber and makes HD KSOE the first shipbuilder One of the challenges in developing large-scale LH2 storage is achieving and maintaining vacuum insulation in large tanks. HD KSOE has addressed this by creating a new method that significantly reduces the time needed to create a vacuum, an essential part of making larger tanks viable. Their solution was successfully tested using a large chamber and makes HD KSOE the first shipbuilder in the world to demonstrate the viability of this approach. Verification test Jason Crusan, Vice President (VP) - Energy Solutions at Woodside Energy, said, "This is a key achievement which builds confidence that liquid hydrogen ships can be efficiently designed and constructed in a shipyard environment." Jotaro Tamura,  Senior Management Executive Officer at MOL, said, "This verification test was a major milestone in the study of transporting liquefied hydrogen, where one of the major issues was the need to increase the size of the tank, and is an important step towards commercialisation." Dedication and innovation Chi O. Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai Glovis, stated, "Achieving this remarkable milestone as the world’s first to successfully verify tank scale-up, HD KSOE has demonstrated the dedication and innovation of the research. We hope this achievement serves as a strong foundation for future advancements in the field." Hydrogen vacuum system solution Dr. Byeongyong Yoo, Vice President at HD KSOE, commented, "HD KSOE has been dedicated to providing technological solutions for large-scale energy shipping such as LNG, LPG, Ammonia, CO2, and now hydrogen." Dr. Byeongyong Yoo adds, "This hydrogen vacuum system solution and large-scale validation test are part of these efforts. We will continue collaborating with leading global companies to drive the energy transition and achieve net-zero goals." A global hydrogen economy "With the award of this AiP we take another big step forward in in the journey toward realising a global hydrogen economy," said Vidar Dolonen, DNV Regional Manager for Korea and Japan. Vidar Dolonen adds, "This ongoing collaboration with innovative partners like HD KSOE shows how through collective effort we can drive progress on some of the most technical challenges of the new zero carbon economy, and set the stage for safer and more efficient hydrogen transport, as the world shifts toward cleaner energy sources." Liquefied hydrogen carriers The testing was observed by representatives from Woodside Energy, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Hyundai Glovis, and DNV. KSOE is also working together with Woodside Energy to develop 80,000-cubic-metre liquefied hydrogen carriers equipped with the large hydrogen tanks, part of a broader ongoing collaboration aimed at developing an integrated maritime transportation value chain for large-scale liquid hydrogen.

KR (Korean Register) has awarded the world's first Approval in Principle (AIP) to HD KSOE for its breakthrough vacuum-insulated large-scale liquid hydrogen tank system, marking a significant advancement in clean energy transportation technology. The AIP follows the successful completion of validation tests, demonstrating the system’s feasibility and innovative design. The transition to a hydrogen-based society demands advanced technologies for the large-scale transportation and storage of hydrogen. However, the extreme cryogenic conditions required for liquid hydrogen storage at –253°C have long posed significant challenges. Key challenges by cutting-edge solutions HD KSOE united with pioneering global hydrogen industry stakeholders, including Woodside Energy and MOL HD KSOE has independently developed a vacuum-insulated liquid hydrogen tank system that addresses key challenges by introducing cutting-edge solutions. This innovative system dramatically reduces the time required to create a vacuum in large tanks, shortening the process from several months to just a few days. Last December, HD KSOE collaborated with pioneering global hydrogen industry stakeholders, including Woodside Energy, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), and Hyundai Glovis, to conduct rigorous validation tests. These tests marked a groundbreaking achievement as the world’s first successful demonstration of the feasibility of scaling up liquid hydrogen tanks, while dramatically reducing vacuum processing time. HD KSOE's technological excellence KR evaluated the system's compliance with domestic and international standards, confirming its effectiveness and stability and granting the AIP as a result. KIM Daeheon, Executive Vice President of KR's R&D Division, commented: "This AIP reflects HD KSOE's technological excellence and highlights the promising potential of the hydrogen industry. KR remains committed to supporting the safety and technological progress of this vital sector." Energy transition and net-zero goals KR evaluated the system's compliance with domestic and international norms, confirming its energy and stability "HD KSOE has been dedicated to providing technological solutions for large-scale energy shipping such as LNG, LPG, Ammonia, CO2, and now hydrogen," said YOO Byeongyong, Vice President at HD KSOE. "This hydrogen vacuum system solution and large-scale validation test are part of these efforts. We will continue collaborating with pioneering global companies to drive the energy transition and achieve net-zero goals." Jason Crusan, VP Energy Solutions at Woodside Energy, highlighted the significance of this achievement: "This is a key achievement which builds confidence that liquid hydrogen ships can be efficiently designed and constructed in a shipyard environment." Important step towards commercialisation Jotaro Tamura, Senior Managing Executive Officer at MOL, added: "This verification test was a major milestone in the study of transporting liquefied hydrogen, where one of the major issues was the need to increase the size of the tank, and is an important step towards commercialisation." KWON Chi-O, Vice President at Hyundai Glovis said: "Achieving this remarkable milestone as the world’s first to successfully verify tank scale-up, HD KSOE has demonstrated the dedication and innovation of the research. We hope this achievement serves as a strong foundation for future advancements in the field."