Five Korean Shipbuilding and Steel Companies Jointly Develop Liquefied Hydrogen Cargo Tanks

International Standardization for Cargo Hold Design and Manufacturing

Leading domestic shipbuilding and steel companies have joined hands to jointly research cargo tanks, a key equipment for liquefied hydrogen carriers.

Samsung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, POSCO, and Hyundai Steel announced on the 13th that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korean Register for a "Joint Research on Standardization of Material Testing for Liquefied Hydrogen Ships." The signing ceremony, held at Samsung Heavy Industries' Pangyo R&D Center, was attended by research directors and working researchers from each company.

Appearance of ethylene oxide carrier (Provided by Samsung Heavy Industries)

Hydrogen, recognized as a next-generation eco-friendly fuel, must be cooled to minus 253 degrees Celsius and compressed to one eight-hundredth of its volume in liquid form for long-distance transportation. Accordingly, the design and manufacture of liquefied hydrogen cargo tanks that can safely store hydrogen at ultra-low temperatures are considered core technologies for liquefied hydrogen carriers.

Since ultra-low temperature conditions reduce the impact toughness of materials compared to room temperature, various material property studies and verifications are required to respond to external shocks. However, there are no international standards yet, leading to intense technological development competition among countries.

Under this agreement, the parties aim to strengthen technological competitiveness for the design and construction of liquefied hydrogen carriers by sharing experimental results on material properties in liquefied hydrogen environments, jointly utilizing data, and promoting international standardization related to the design and manufacture of liquefied hydrogen cargo tanks. It is expected that Korea will establish a technological foundation to dominate the next-generation hydrogen carrier market.

In particular, unlike liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo tanks that rely on overseas technology, it is highly significant that Korea’s leading shipbuilders, steelmakers, and the Korean Register are participating in the development of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) cargo tanks to develop purely independent technology and lead international standards.

A research director from one shipbuilding company said, "Since the Korean Register, along with the three major domestic shipbuilders and two steel companies, are conducting joint research, this collaboration will greatly contribute to securing the leadership of Korean companies in the future hydrogen carrier market."