Australian Provaris Energy, former Global Energy Ventures (GEV), has launched a gaseous hydrogen floating storage solution for various applications, including bunkering for the maritime sector, intermittent/buffer storage for green hydrogen production, and long-duration storage for excess renewable energy.
The solution called H2Leo has been designed with a capacity range of 300 to 600 tonnes of hydrogen, expandable up to 2,000 tonnes.
Leveraging the FEED-level engineering, safety studies, and Design Approval for the company’s H2Neo carrier received in December 2022 , the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has also provided Approval In Principal (AIP) for the compressed hydrogen floating storage solution H2Leo class, the first of its kind to receive this level of approval.
As described, the H2Leo floating storage unit will have two cargo tanks with independent isolation, safety valves, and manifolds for compressed hydrogen transfer. The SIMOPS capability allows for continuous production and discharge. ABS has carried out risk and safety workshops to assess and mitigate hydrogen handling risks and Provaris will work with ABS for Design Approval, cargo tank testing, and construction.
The H2Leo class will have a fixed beam and depth of 31.00 metres and 17.00 metres respectively, with length and draft varying according to the specified cargo capacity.
The company said it targets a US$ 0.2 – 0.3 million / tonne capital cost for the H2Leo, making it significantly cheaper than onshore solutions. Furthermore, it is expected to allow for greater flexibility and optimization of Provaris’ compressed hydrogen supply chain projects, reducing the total cost of supply by providing buffer storage at export and/or import locations.
The development of H2Leo will run parallel to the remaining engineering and approvals for H2Neo, targeting prototype testing and final class approval later this year, with H2Leo set to become available in 2025.
Provaris’ Chief Technical Officer Per Roed said: “The H2Leo is a flexible hydrogen floating storage unit that can be optimized in size, capacity, and operations for different applications. Its SIMOPs capability allows for continuous operations, and it has a large working deck and hull for installing auxiliary systems such as compression and H2 bunkering. Provaris is developing production capacity for cargo tanks that can be operational for floating storage by 2025 which will cater to short-term demand for storage and allow Provaris to gain operational experience and de-risk the continued development of the H2Neo carrier. ”