SUISO Frontier, the first liquefied hydrogen carrier, was recently welcomed in Singapore.
The vessel berthed at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore on Pulau Bukom from 1 September to 7 September 2023.
The vessel completed its maiden voyage between Australia and Japan in 2022. It arrived at the Victorian Port of Hastings on 20 January 2022.
After a refit period, is now in the next phase of the demonstration which aims to assess performance, reliability, and integrity of the vessel’s system through more load-unload cycles as well as provide more operational experience.
Shell operates Suiso Frontier under the CO2-free Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association (HySTRA) project funded by the Japanese government and various partners.
The vessel can carry up to 1250 cubic metres of liquefied hydrogen at negative 253 degrees Celsius in the state-of-the-art storage tank. Kawasaki Heavy Industries designed and built the vessel.
MPA chief executive Teo Eng Dih said Singapore announced its National Hydrogen Strategy late last year.
“The properties of hydrogen, and its potential to be produced at scale using renewable sources, makes hydrogen a potential fuel to support the energy transition to a low and zero carbon future,” he said.
“MPA is actively studying the use of hydrogen and its carriers as a marine fuel and welcomes the collaboration with industry players such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Shell, as well as our work with our research community such as the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, to bring the Suiso Frontier to Singapore. This vessel visit has helped to inform the development of safety and operational procedures, and also support further feasibility studies and preparations for the deep-sea transportation and receipt of liquefied alternative fuels.”
Kawasaki Heavy Industries executive officer deputy general manager, hydrogen strategy division Mr Shigeru Yamamoto said: “We strongly believe that an international supply chain of liquefied hydrogen by marine transportation is essential to realise a carbon-neutral world. The world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, Suiso Frontier, showed to the world that cryogenic liquefied hydrogen can be transported by ship. We are confident that liquefied hydrogen will attract even more attention from around the world in the future”.
Nick Potter, general manager of Shell Shipping and Maritime for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said transportation through deep-sea shipping is one of the critical steps essential for unlocking the use of hydrogen as a future zero carbon fuel.
“The Suiso Frontier represents a key milestone in demonstrating the technical feasibility of liquefied hydrogen shipping and Shell’s maritime leadership in this area,” Mr Potter said.
“Shell also remains committed to the safe and efficient operations of the vessel.”
