H2 TO GO

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.”

Piece Of The Jigsaw

PROVARIS ENERGY, AN Australiaheadquartered firm looking to develop a viable liquefied hydrogen supply chain, has taken a step further in its project by gaining Approval in Principle (AiP) from ABS for its floating storage unit, H2Leo. Using this solution could bring down the capital cost of a liquefied hydrogen project considerably, since Provaris calculates that the per-tonne cost of floating storage is between $0.2m and $0.3m, compared to as much as $2.0m/tonne for large-scale onshore storage.

“Provaris sees the development of a floating storage solution as a natural extension of its compressed hydrogen IP, providing an alternative to current high-cost bulk-scale storage solutions and improving the economics of its existing projects,” says Martin Carolan, managing director and CEO of Provaris Energy. “We believe a floating storage solution will complement our pipeline of hydrogen production and transport projects and decrease timelines to first revenues and IP commercialisation.”

“The H2Leo is a flexible hydrogen floating storage unit that can be optimised in size, capacity and operations for different applications,” adds Per Roed, chief technical officer at Provaris. “Its simultaneous operations (SIMOPs) capability allows for continuous operations, and it has a large working deck and hull for installing auxiliary www.provaris.energy

The AiP from ABS allows for a flexible solution to meet industry demands, with a design capacity in the range of 300 to 600 tonnes; future development will focus on expanding this to 2,000 tonnes. The H2Leo unit will be configured with two cargo tanks with independent isolation, safety valves and manifolds for the transfer of compressed hydrogen.

ABS has carried out risk and safety workshops to assess and mitigate hydrogen handling risks. Provaris will now work with ABS for design approval, cargo tank testing and construction. The H2Leo class will have a fixed beam and depth of 31.00 m and 17.00 m, respectively, with length and draft varying according to the specified cargo capacity.

Provaris has two compressed hydrogen carriers in development, both of which received AiP in 2021. The first, H2Neo, will have a cargo capacity of 26,000 m3 at 250 bar, giving a maximum cargo of 430 tonnes.

Provaris is aiming to have shipbuilding contracts in place this year or next and to have the first vessel in operation during 2026 or 2027; the ships will have a range of up to 2,000 nautical miles. For larger projects and longer distances, Provaris also has the H2Max in development; this has a cargo capacity of 120,000 m3/2,000 tonnes and the company is aiming to place shipbuilding contracts in 2027 and have the first ships in the water by 2030.

The development of H2Leo will run in parallel with the remaining engineering and approvals for H2Neo, with prototype testing and final class approval targeted for the end of this year and the first units to be available in 2025. Provaris is involved in two export projects in Australia, both of which envisage the shipment of clean hydrogen to importers in Asia.