HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), a shipbuilding intermediate holding company of HD Hyundai, announced on the 13th that it had obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) for its vacuum insulation system for LH₂ storage tanks from four major classification societies: Lloyd’s Register (LR), the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), and the Korean Register (KR).
Last month, the company also received approval for its LH₂ storage tank welding procedure specification (WPS) from DNV. With this, HD Hyundai became the first company in South Korea to secure expertise in material selection, verification, and welding techniques required for LH₂ storage tanks.
Hydrogen is widely recognized as a key clean energy source, but its commercialization has been hindered by the lack of advanced technology to design and construct large LH₂ storage tanks for ships. To build such tanks, standardized welding procedures and evaluation criteria using special materials are essential. However, no formal regulatory guidelines existed until now. Moreover, reducing the boil-off rate of LH₂, over nine times higher than LNG, necessitates a vacuum-insulated tank. Nonetheless, the process of achieving this vacuum involves significant time with existing technology, presenting challenges in scaling up tank sizes.
HD KSOE tackled these challenges by partnering with DNV in a joint development project in August last year. The company developed detailed standards for LH₂ storage tanks, including welding procedures and evaluation criteria, securing approval from classification societies.
HD KSOE has also developed its own vacuum insulation system. This development enables LH₂ storage tanks to sustain a vacuum state even at –253℃ during ship operations, ensuring the secure transport of significant volumes of LH₂ without loss. In addition, the time required to create a vacuum has been dramatically shortened, reducing the process from months to days.
A representative from HD KSOE stated, “The transition to a hydrogen-based society is an inevitable trend. HD KSOE will continue to lead advancements in hydrogen transport and storage technology by sea, accelerating the path toward hydrogen commercialization.”
Meanwhile, HD KSOE, aiming to secure a competitive edge in the global hydrogen transportation market, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in February 2024 with Woodside Energy, Hyundai Glovis, and the Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) to collaborate on the development of the LH₂ transportation value chain.