HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Participates in 'Horizon Europe'... Leading Hydrogen Maritime Transport

Development of 160,000㎥ Class Hydrogen Cargo Tanks by 2026

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering will participate in the European Union (EU)'s largest research program related to hydrogen maritime transportation.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering announced on the 31st that it has formed a consortium with 14 institutions in Europe, including the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Dresden University of Technology, and will begin joint development of large liquefied hydrogen cargo tank technology starting next month.

This project has been selected for 'Horizon Europe,' the EU's largest research and innovation funding program, and will receive support from the EU Commission. The consortium, including HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, aims to invest a total of 10 million euros (approximately 14 billion KRW) over four years to develop a 160,000 m³-class liquefied hydrogen cargo tank. Horizon Europe is a research and innovation funding program through which the EU plans to provide about 95.5 billion euros (approximately 130 trillion KRW) from 2021 to 2027.

Based on its accumulated expertise in designing liquefied gas cargo tanks through securing the largest number of gas carriers worldwide, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering will lead the conceptual and basic design of the liquefied hydrogen cargo tank, which is the core of this project.

Status of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and 14 EU Industry-Academia-Research Consortium Participating Institutions
[Image source=HD Hyundai Heavy Industries]

The consortium includes not only global classification societies such as ABS but also engineering companies like HYDRUS and TWI, as well as prestigious institutions with outstanding capabilities in design, manufacturing, performance, and risk assessment, such as Dresden University of Technology and Athens University of Technology. The company stated that sharing information and know-how on hydrogen core technologies with international research institutions and companies will create synergy.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering planned this joint research project based at the HD Europe Research Center (ERC), established in Germany in April last year. Going forward, it plans to actively participate in various global eco-friendly and digital shipbuilding and offshore cooperation projects through the ERC.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering expects to secure core technologies for hydrogen cargo tanks and take the lead in global standards through this project. Since hydrogen uses water as fuel, its quantity is nearly unlimited, and it does not emit carbon dioxide during combustion, making it a key energy source to lead the carbon-neutral era.

In September last year, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering received DNV classification certification for a hydrogen carrier system applying a Himsen engine at the Gastech exhibition held in Milan. In December last year, it succeeded in developing Korea's first 1.5 MW-class LNG-hydrogen dual-fuel engine in collaboration with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The plan is to develop a complete hydrogen engine by 2025 to complete the hydrogen ecosystem.

An official from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said, “Participation in this project is the result of recognition of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering’s capabilities in next-generation eco-friendly ships,” adding, “We will accelerate the development of leading technologies in eco-friendly fields including hydrogen to capture the global market.”