South Korea Set to Unveil the Globe's Largest Liquefied Hydrogen Transport Vessel by 2027

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South Korea is gearing up to construct the largest liquefied hydrogen carrier (LHC) in the world by 2027, aiming to boost its shipbuilding sector and take a leading role in eco-friendly energy transport.During a launch event at BEXCO in Busan on May 9, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy shared an aspiring investment plan. Thay’re set to allocate 55.5 billion won (around $39.5 million) just for 2025 to kickstart this project. This innovative vessel will act as a prototype with a capacity of 2,300 cubic meters—equivalent to about 140 tons of liquefied hydrogen—making it the largest LHC once completed.

to spearhead this initiative, the ministry has formed a ‘Public-Private Joint Promotion team for Liquefied Hydrogen Carriers.’ This team unites South Korea’s leading experts from various sectors including government agencies, research institutions, universities, and major shipbuilders like Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries.

Storing liquefied hydrogen requires extremely low temperatures of -253°C; this process condenses its volume significantly—by about 800 times! While that boosts transport efficiency dramatically compared to traditional methods like liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is stored at -163°C, it also presents unique technical hurdles.

The upcoming carrier will utilize advanced vacuum insulation alongside hybrid propulsion systems that integrate hydrogen boil-off gas with fuel cells and energy storage solutions.Currently, there are no large-scale commercial vessels designed for transporting liquefied hydrogen; only a small Japanese presentation ship exists with a tank capacity of just 1,250 cbm—a far cry from what South Korea plans.

The ministry emphasizes that these carriers represent high-value technology with immense growth potential but acknowledges that initial costs and risks necessitate government backing. An official highlighted how crucial state support is for navigating this emerging market effectively while also planning regulatory updates to help local innovations gain global traction.Looking ahead beyond just the demonstration vessel slated for completion in 2027, South Korea has set ambitious goals: they aim to finalize technology for larger LHCs by 2030 and develop carriers capable of holding up to 40,000 cbm by as early as 2032—with aspirations toward commercializing even larger vessels by around 2040.

In line with these objectives, the Ministry recently introduced their ‘Liquid Hydrogen Carrier super-gap leading Strategy’ aimed at empowering small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This strategy focuses on helping them acquire essential technologies while validating performance metrics necessary for scaling up operations—all within an effective public-private partnership framework.

Currently underway are approximately 43 R&D projects involving over a hundred organizations working collaboratively towards these goals. The new task force aims not only to streamline these initiatives into one cohesive effort but also foster an ecosystem conducive to innovation in equipment specific to liquefied hydrogen transportation.

Reference: MOTIE