Hydrogen will likely be an essential commodity as the world focuses on decarbonisation. To facilitate the transportation of renewable energy across vast distances in the form of electrons to molecules, hydrogen shipping presents both technological barriers and opportunities.
As a clean energy carrier, hydrogen holds immense potential, especially for difficult to decarbonise sectors such as industrial processes and maritime shipping. Its versatility allows for hydrogen transportation in various forms such as liquid, gaseous, or chemical carriers like ammonia or methanol, through pipelines (like blending with natural gas), rail, trucks or ships.
Hydrogen stands as an energy vector for the global energy transition, providing a cleaner and more sustainable future when applied as fuel. Its appeal stems from its abundance, derived from diverse sources such as water, natural gas, biomass and others.
Furthermore, hydrogen's unique ability to produce only water vapour when utilised in fuel cells and combustion systems makes it an energy material for reducing emissions in transportation and industrial applications. Moreover, hydrogen acts as a versatile energy storage medium, capable of storing excess renewable energy (as electrons) to molecular form, helping to stabilise power grids reliant on intermittent sources like wind and solar.
Despite its potential as a clean energy source, hydrogen poses several serious risks at every stage of its value chain, from production and storage to use and transportation. It is extremely vulnerable to unintentional fires and explosions due to its flammability, broad explosive range and low ignition energy.
Additionally, because of its low density, it must be stored at high pressure or undergo cryogenic liquefaction, which increases both the danger of pressure vessel failures and cryogenic embrittlement. Safe handling and use of metallic components are made more difficult by the possibility of hydrogen embrittlement, which necessitates careful material and operational technique selection to reduce these inherent dangers.
Establishing a robust global hydrogen supply chain necessitates significant investment in production, storage and transportation infrastructure. This includes developing specialised tankers, vessels and infrastructure at ports to handle the unique properties of hydrogen, such as its low density and cryogenic storage requirements. While the challenges are significant, the potential for decarbonising the shipping sector through hydrogen presents a compelling economic and environmental case, driving innovation and collaboration among stakeholders worldwide.
Shipping options
Several alternative hydrogen shipping methods exist, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Compressed hydrogen gas offers simplicity but requires large tank volumes and high pressures due to hydrogen's low density. Ammonia is a promising hydrogen carrier, boasting higher energy density per unit volume than compressed hydrogen as well as easier liquefaction and transport, albeit requiring energy-intensive conversion back to hydrogen at its destination. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers offer potentially higher energy density and improved safety compared with compressed hydrogen but demand specialised infrastructure for the handling of organic liquids and hydrogen release.
As the global economy transitions away from fossil fuels, marine LNG terminals may need to be expanded and modified for hydrogen storage, requiring some necessary adjustments. These terminals can serve as multifunctional, multi-energy carrier entry gateways to the demand and supply centres by offering maritime logistics, storage, conversion, pipeline connections, multimodal transport links and quality management.
In addition, research indicates that the supply and demand for clean hydrogen will be significantly out of balance. For example, to meet demand in Northwest Europe, the Port of Rotterdam projects that 20mt/yr of hydrogen would be delivered via the port by 2050. To link production and consumption hubs in Europe and beyond while ensuring supply security for the EU, marine ports with conversion and multimodal transportation connections will be essential.
Accelerating the offtake of the hydrogen value chain requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, addressing critical policy matters across several dimensions. A key element is risk-sharing partnerships, where governments, private investors and technology providers collaborate to mitigate the uncertainties inherent in early-stage hydrogen technologies. This could involve joint ventures and government-backed insurance schemes to de-risk investments in production, transportation and storage infrastructure.
Policy perspectives must prioritise long-term strategic planning. Clear, consistent, and predictable regulatory frameworks are needed to attract investment and stimulate innovation. This requires harmonising the various regional, national and international incentive programmes to avoid creating trade distortions and fostering a truly global hydrogen market.
Multi-pronged approach
The pathway for hydrogen shipping necessitates a multi-pronged approach. Addressing the cost and safety concerns requires further investment in alternative carrier molecules, such asammonia or methane, alongside the deployment of more efficient vessel designs, compression solutions, strategies to recover and minimise boil-off losses, improved liquefaction technologies, proven and highly energy-efficient ammonia cracking solution and port infrastructure development.
Crucially, large-scale demonstration projects are needed to validate innovative solutions and refine operational procedures. Concurrent with technological advancements, comprehensive safety regulations and robust industry standards must be implemented and rigorously enforced.
Fostering collaboration among stakeholders in policy and standardisation matters for hydrogen trade are paramount to overcome infrastructural limitations, stimulating the development of the necessary port facilities and transportation networks required for a globally interconnected hydrogen supply chain. Only through this concerted effort can the full potential of hydrogen shipping be realised, contributing significantly to the global sustainable energy transition.
The author is Global Hydrogen Leader – Global Sustainability, ABS
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