Keppel Corporation said it has teamed up with four industry partners to jointly explore the concept development of a supply infrastructure to bring liquefied hydrogen (LH2) into Singapore to power Keppel’s data centres.
Keppel Data Centres, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Linde Gas Singapore, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Vopak LNG have entered into a memorandum of understanding, according to a Keppel statement.
Under this memorandum, the five industry partners will jointly study the technical and commercial viability of a LH2 supply chain, including the feasibility of having a production and liquefaction plant and export terminal at the exporting country.
This includes transportation via ocean-going tankers, as well as an import terminal, storage units and regasification facilities in Singapore, the statement said.
“The study is expected to continue till the end of 2021. At that juncture, the partners will decide on the next phase of their collaboration,” it said.
Moreover, the partners envision that the LH2 supply infrastructure will benefit data centre facilities such as the floating data centre park project in Singapore that Keppel Data Centres is currently pursuing.
There is growing interest worldwide in the use of hydrogen as an energy source because its combustion does not emit carbon dioxide, according to the statement.
In its liquid state, hydrogen occupies 800 times less volume compared to its gaseous state, allowing for more compact and efficient storage and transportation. As such, LH2 is gaining traction as a “compelling clean energy alternative” for land-scarce markets, the statement said.