CB&I, a U.S. designer and builder of storage facilities, tanks, and terminals, joined hands with South Korean shipyard to apply liquid hydrogen storage tanks to large carriers. Liquid hydrogen, created by pressurizing hydrogen vapor, is stable for storage and transportation, has high density, and requires cooling equipment and cryogenic containers.
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) said that the partnership with CB&I would contribute to realizing the large size of liquefied hydrogen carriers.
CB&I has provided NASA’s new liquid hydrogen storage sphere that would be the world’s largest liquid hydrogen storage unit. The company is also involved in a group led by Shell to develop a liquid hydrogen storage technology for tanks used at import and export terminals.
POSCO has developed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank using high manganese steel approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a U.N. maritime safety agency. The steel group works with the state-run Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), DSME, and Korea Gas Safety Corp. (KGS) to develop a liquid hydrogen storage tank using high manganese steel, which is an alternative material for cryogenic services because it is easier to weld and has lower manufacturing costs than stainless steel.
In April 2021, Hyosung Advanced Materials, affiliated with South Korea’s Hyosung Group, secured a six-year contract from Hanwha Solutions to supply high-strength carbon fiber used to reinforce hydrogen fuel tanks.