First-ever coal-derived hydrogen shipment to be loaded Victoria

The world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier Suiso Frontier has arrived at the Port of Hastings in Victoria to test the viability of a hydrogen export market between Australia and Japan.

The Susio Frontier will load what is claimed to be the world’s first-ever cargo of liquified hydrogen produced at the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project in the La Trobe Valley for shipment to Japan.

The project is being developed by a consortium of Japanese and Australian companies, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japanese energy giant J-Power and AGL, which owns the Loy Yang power station.

The project has received $100 million from the Victorian and federal governments.

The hydrogen is so-called brown hydrogen produced from gasified brown coal and is not to be confused with green hydrogen produced with the electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy.

Nonetheless the shipment in the 8,000 tonne gross tonnage vessel is historic and will be an important test of whether Australian green hydrogen mega-projects now being planned can replace the seaborne export of LNG, as appears necessary for the world to reach its decarbonisation targets.

Loy Yang produced its first hydrogen last year, with the gas transported in gaseous form before it is liquefied prior to export.

The Suiso Frontier has a 1,250-cubic-metre storage tank able to carry liquefied hydrogen at 0.125 per cent of its original volume and is destined for Kobe in Japan.

Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain says the brown coal resource will not be commercialised unless it is able to capture and store the emissions.

The Victorian government is studying the feasibility of capturing emissions from local industry and storing it in disused gas and oil wells in Bass Strait.

Picture: Coregas Pty Ltd

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