ClassNK issues LH2 carrier guidelines

‘Guidelines for Liquefied Hydrogen (LH2) Carriers (Edition 2.0)’ examines the safety of liquified hydrogen carriers, as the industry seeks to replace fossil fuels with greener alternatives.

To ensure an effective supply chain for hydrogen – one such alternative – the development of liquefied hydrogen carriers that enable large-scale transportation is progressing rapidly.

IMO established safety requirements for LH2 carriers that must keep cargo at an extremely low temperature of -253° Celsius, and ‘Interim Recommendations for Carriage of Liquefied Hydrogen in Bulk’ was adopted in 2016.

In response to these interim recommendations, ClassNK’s first published its guidelines in 2017, on which was based the design of the world’s first LH2 carrier, Suiso Frontier.

Incorporating lessons learned from the ship’s operation and reviews of other concepts currently under development, ClassNK has now updated the guidelines to Edition 2.0.

The latest update has been refined for clarity as well as revised in respect of risk and hazard assessment.

The guidelines are available to download on ClassNK’s website after registration.