KR Awards First AIP to HD KSOE for Innovative Liquid Hydrogen Tank System

Korean Register (KR) has granted the world's first Approval in Principle (AIP) to HD KSOE for its groundbreaking vacuum-insulated large-scale liquid hydrogen tank system, representing a major milestone in clean energy transportation technology. This recognition follows the successful completion of validation tests, which confirmed the system’s innovative design and feasibility.

The transition to a hydrogen-based society requires advanced technologies for the large-scale transport and storage of hydrogen. However, the extremely low temperatures needed to store liquid hydrogen at –253°C have historically posed significant challenges.

HD KSOE has independently developed a vacuum-insulated liquid hydrogen tank system that overcomes these obstacles with state-of-the-art solutions. This innovative design drastically reduces the time needed to create a vacuum in large tanks, cutting the process from several months to just a few days.

In December, HD KSOE partnered with prominent global hydrogen industry players, including Woodside Energy, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), and Hyundai Glovis, to conduct comprehensive validation tests. These trials marked a significant breakthrough as the first successful demonstration of scalable liquid hydrogen tanks while significantly reducing vacuum processing time.

KR thoroughly evaluated the system for compliance with both domestic and international standards, confirming its safety and reliability, and subsequently awarded the AIP.

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."

"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 leading 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."

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 commercialization."

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."