Shell Looking Into Hydrogen Energy Supply

The Anglo–Dutch oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell has joined a pilot project related to hydrogen energy supply chain development, the company confirmed to World Maritime News amid media reports that it was teaming up with Japanese Kawasaki Heavy Industries on the project.

“Shell is participating in a Technical Research Association and Pilot Demonstration Project for hydrogen energy supply chain development (HySTRA). The HySTRA consortium was established in February 2016,” Shell said in statement.

In an agreement to start working together on the project, the two companies are said to be planning to produce hydrogen from low-quality brown coal abundant in Australia at low cost and then ship liquefied hydrogen in special vessels, Nikkei reported.

According to reports from the news agency, the project would also see contribution from Iwatani and Electric Power Development. As part of the project, Kawasaki would provide transportation vessels and storage tanks, Iwatani would contribute facilities for loading hydrogen stored tanks onto transportation vehicles, while Electric Power Development would manage production plants.

A pilot operation was allegedly scheduled to launch in 2020, targeting annual hydrogen imports of 660,000 tons in 2030.

World Maritime News Staff