AUSTRALIAN hydrogen logistics technology company Global Energy Ventures has announced the ship specification engineering for its 430-tonne pilot vessel has been completed.

A work package – which includes the ship engineering analysis and drawings, stability analysis and tank design calculations – has been presented to the American Bureau of Shipping.

ABS has been formally engaged to provide an approval in principle for the pilot ship. The AIP process assesses the design in relation to international codes and standards to ensure there are no major engineering, regulatory or safety issues.

GEV is leveraging the successful 2000-tonne AIP program to fast-track AIP for the pilot ship by end of Q3 2021, and to ultimately target full class approvals by late 2022.

C-FER Technologies has recently completed an independent analysis of hydrogen permeability which supported GEV’s design assumptions and the selection of a stainless-steel inner liner. C-FER is now supporting the selection of carbon steel and welding techniques in preparation for prototype construction and testing in 2022.

GEV managing director and CEO Martin Carolan said the company continues to advance the development of its hydrogen shipping program with the pilot 430-tonne ship specification and supporting analysis now complete.

“Our team of experts led by inventor John Fitzpatrick and COO of GEV Canada, David Stenning, continue to deliver the approvals program on time and budget,” Mr Carolan said.

“GEV is targeting the pilot 430-tonne compressed hydrogen ship to be the first commercial scale vessel available for the marine transport of hydrogen and support our commercialisation activity which now includes the recently announced Feasibility Study for the HyEnergy Project, located in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.”