MOL teams up with Woodside, HD KSOE and Hyundai Glovis to study transport of liquefied hydrogen
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has announced the signing of a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Woodside Energy Ltd (Woodside), a major Australian energy company and shipbuilding and engineering company HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (HD KSOE) and shipping company Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd. (Hyundai Glovis), both of South Korea, to jointly study the development of shipping solutions to enable bulk marine transportation of liquid hydrogen, which the three companies have been pursuing since 2022.
Liquefied hydrogen takes up about 1/800th the volume of hydrogen gas. While liquefied hydrogen is non-toxic and can be transported safely and efficiently, it must be cooled to -253°C, which requires advanced technology. Woodside, HD KSOE, and Hyundai Glovis have evaluated MOL's expertise gained through decades of experience in transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and its various efforts to address decarbonization issues, and approached the company to cooperate in this study, leading to the conclusion of the MoU.
If a project results from the MoU, Woodside would be responsible for producing hydrogen and storing it at loading and discharging ports, HD KSOE would design and build the vessel, and Hyundai Glovis and MOL would be responsible for providing ship operational input into the vessel design, including logistics, propulsion, storage and cargo handling.
