• Architects and designers appointed for world’s first compressed hydrogen ship project
  • ‘Successful delivery… of H2 Ship in the first half of 2021 will demonstrate there are no showstoppers’
  • Hydrogen is emerging as a cleaner fuel for transportation and power generation

Hydrogen transport company Global Energy Ventures (ASX:GEV) has appointed design and engineering firms for its first purpose-built ship to carry cargoes of compressed hydrogen.

The H2 Ship will be the world’s first ship specially designed to carry compressed hydrogen, a zero-carbon emissions fuel produced in Australia for customers in Asia.

“The successful delivery of approval in principle for the H2 Ship in the first half of 2021 will demonstrate there are no showstoppers to the proposed ship design and containment system for large scale marine transportation of compressed hydrogen,” executive chairman and chief executive, Maurice Brand said.

Capilano Maritime Design has been appointed as naval architects for the project and will provide marine engineering services to advance the design of the H2 Ship.

GEV's H2 Ship for carrying compressed hydrogen cargo will have an innovative design. Image: Company supplied
GEV’s H2 Ship for carrying compressed hydrogen cargo will have an innovative design. Image: Company supplied

American Bureau of Shipping to undertake technical aspects of H2 Ship

Specialist maritime company the American Bureau of Shipping will handle the technical aspects of the novel vessel under an Approval in Principle contract with Global Energy Ventures.

“Both groups worked with our marine engineering team for the CNG Optimum ship which successfully attained full design class approvals in early 2019,” said Brand.

ABS’s work includes developing a ship outline specification for its important cargo containment section, and to carry out a preliminary analysis of loading and unloading processes for the ship.

The US firm will also undertake a preliminary analysis to identify any significant potential hazards for the H2 Ship and to mitigate any identified risks.

The vessel will have a cargo capacity for hydrogen of 2,000 tonnes or 23 million cubic metres, and ABS is expected to complete its work in early 2021.

The Approval in Principle stage is critical to advancing a technical feasibility study of the H2 Ship, the first of its kind for the maritime transport of large-scale cargoes of hydrogen.

After this, Global Energy Ventures will engage with shipyards to develop a cost estimate and construction schedule for its proposed H2 Ship.

“The company has received extensive enquiries from proposed hydrogen export projects and other participants in the development of the hydrogen supply chain, and we look forward to progressing discussions on the economics, logistics and potential collaborations in the coming quarters,” said Brand.

A compressed LNG ship emits less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional LNG vessel. Image: Company supplied
A compressed LNG ship emits less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional LNG vessel. Image: Company supplied

H2 Ship is designed around three principles

The H2 Ship’s containment system for hydrogen has been designed around three principles.

Firstly, to optimise the volume of hydrogen that can be stored in the vessel’s hull using compression; secondly, to optimise the cost, availability and construction of the ship; and thirdly to meet or exceed design rules and safety standards established by the ABS.

Global Energy Ventures’s business model is to build, own and operate integrated energy transport projects for either natural gas or hydrogen.

Its purpose-built compressed natural gas (CNG) ship Optimum is a lower emission transport vessel that is approved for construction and is ready for commercialisation.

A study commissioned by GEV concluded that a CNG ship emits three to four times less greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional LNG vessel.

South Australia is leading the way in developing a new hydrogen-based economy and has proposed three export hubs for trade.

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