Australian energy company Global Energy Ventures (GEV) has been granted an approval in principle (AiP) from classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its compressed hydrogen ship with a 430-tonne capacity.
Global Energy’s CH-2 ship is a Handymax-sized gas carrier designed to support the requirements of greenfield hydrogen projects being established for export. It is equipped with an electric drive propulsion system, using dual-fuel (natural gas and hydrogen) engines developed by Finnish company Wartsila to power generators coupled to two electric drive-fixed pitch propellers.
ABS has reviewed GEV’s design in accordance with a number of regulations including the 2020 ABS guide for vessels intended to carry compressed natural gases in bulk, and considers that “the proposed conceptual design for the 430-tonnes compressed hydrogen carrier is feasible”. The next phase is the approval for the construction from ABS and it is believed to be “the key technical barrier to achieving commercialisation for the CH-2 ship and supply chain”.
Global Energy stated that the AiP and the accompanying road map to construction approval has “materially de-risked the path forward to a construction-ready milestone”.
The approval follows a similar one received earlier this year for a CH-2 ship with a 2,000-tonne capacity.
GEV revealed the design of a new compressed hydrogen ship (H2 Ship) tailored for the transport of zero-carbon energy late last year. Meanwhile, the company has teamed up with HyEnergy partners whereby its pilot CH-2 ship will be used as a base case in a feasibility study for the transport of green hydrogen to markets in the Asia-Pacific.