Video: Suiso Frontier delivers first liquefied hydrogen shipment to Japan

Kawasaki Heavy Industries said the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, Suiso Frontier, has returned to Japan after loading its first cargo in Australia.

According to a statement on Friday, the vessel, built by KHI, returned to “Hy touch Kobe”, managed and operated by Iwatani, in Japan with a cargo of liquefied hydrogen generated from Victorian coal.

KHI said this marks the world’s first completion of maritime transportation of liquefied hydrogen over long distances.

In December, KHI said the round-trip between Japan and Australia would demonstrate that liquefied hydrogen could be produced in Australia and transported back to Japan by ship, in a similar way to liquefied natural gas. The vessel arrived at Victoria’s Port of Hastings last month.

The Hydrogen Energy Supply-chain Technology Research Association or HySTRA runs the marine liquefied hydrogen transport over more than 9,000 km as part of the pilot project.

KHI is part of HySTRA along Shell/Stasco that manages and operates the vessel while J-Power produces hydrogen from brown coal in Australia. Besides Kobe terminal operator Iwatani, other partners include Marubeni, Eneos, and K Line.

Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC), the Japanese-Australian venture that produces hydrogen from brown coal, also includes KHI, J-Power, Iwatani, Marubeni, as well as AGL Energy, and Sumitomo.

Testing to continue

HySTRA said in a separate statement it would continue to “carry out loading/unloading test and verification of acquired data, and continue the pilot demonstration project for establishing hydrogen energy supply chains.”

Last year, Japan’s classification society ClassNK registered the 116 meters long Suiso Frontier and it became the world’s first ship to be officially classified as a liquefied hydrogen carrier.

Weighing about 8,000 tonnes, Suiso Frontier features a 1,250-cbm capacity storage tank.

The partners plan to produce about 225,000 tonnes of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) per year and deliver the fuel to Japan.

Most Popular

South Korea’s Posco says first LNG carrier to start ops in H2

Posco International, a unit of South Korean steel producer Posco, plans to start shipping LNG with its first dedicated LNG carrier in the second half of this year.

Canada’s Cedar LNG names FLNG

Canada’s Cedar LNG, a joint venture of Canada’s Pembina Pipeline and the Haisla Nation, has picked a name for its floating LNG facility, which will be located in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation, on Canada’s West Coast.

Wilhelmshaven LNG jetty ready to welcome Excelerate’s FSRU

Dutch marine contractor Van Oord announced on Monday it had completed the new jetty for its client, state-owned LNG...

More News Like This

Shell shareholders re-elect CEO Wael Sawan

Wael Sawan will continue to lead London-based LNG giant Shell following shareholder voting at the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday.

Singapore’s FueLNG wraps up 400th STS bunkering operation

Singapore’s FueLNG, a joint venture consisting of Shell and Seatrium, has completed its 400th ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation. FuelLNG delivered LNG to BYD Shenzen, which is said to be the world’s largest LNG-fueled car carrier.

Peru LNG terminal shipped three cargoes in April

Peru LNG’s liquefaction plant at Pampa Melchorita has shipped three liquefied natural gas cargoes in April due to restrictions on the transportation system, according to operator Hunt Oil.

CFO: Shell on track to ship first LNG Canada cargo in middle of 2025

LNG giant Shell remains on track to deliver the first liquefied natural gas cargo from its LNG Canada export terminal in Kitimat in the middle of this year, according to Shell's finance chief, Sinead Gorman.