ClassNK has released the “Guidelines for Liquefied Hydrogen Carriers (Edition 3.0)”, which covers essential details to examine the safety of liquefied hydrogen carriers to spur related technological developments.
To construct a supply chain for hydrogen, ClassNK reported that the development of liquefied hydrogen carriers that enable large-scale and efficient transportation is progressing actively.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has worked on establishing safety requirements for liquefied hydrogen carriers that must keep cargo at an extremely low temperature of – 253 degrees Celsius, and “Interim Recommendations for Carriage of Liquefied Hydrogen in Bulk” was adopted in 2016.
In light of the revised interim recommendations, ClassNK has updated the guidelines as edition 3.0, reflecting the stipulated changes and the knowledge gained through related projects.
In this update, new safety requirements for cargo containment systems with different designs from an existing prototype liquefied hydrogen carrier were added, and the guidelines’ structure was reformed in anticipation of a future expansion of the applicable scope.
Additionally, a new annex providing guidance on the selection of metallic materials for hydrogen equipment has been implemented.
“It is believed that the safety of liquid hydrogen carriers is adequately ensured through compliance with each safety requirement and implementation of safety measures based on risk assessment, in accordance with the provisions of the guidelines,” reported ClassNK.
Last month, ClassNK announced it would provide the world’s first accreditation for “Machinery Room Safety for Ammonia” (MRS) to NYK’s ammonia-fuelled medium gas carrier (AFMGC).
More recently, the organisation also released an update on its guidelines on alternative fuel ships.
