Provaris Launches Compressed Hydrogen Floating Storage Concept

Australia-based Provaris Energy has launched a gaseous hydrogen floating storage concept called H2Leo that has been granted Approval in Principal by ABS.

The solution has a design capacity range of 300 to 600 tonnes of hydrogen, expandable to up to 2,000 tonnes and will enable greater flexibility and optimization of Provaris' compressed hydrogen supply chain projects under development in Asia and Europe.

The floating storage solution is suitable for various hydrogen supply chains and applications, including bunkering for the maritime sector, intermittent/buffer storage for green hydrogen production, and long-duration storage for excess renewable energy.

The cost of large-scale static storage is currently estimated by external studies to be in the range of US$1-2 million per tonne of storage installed, while Provaris estimates that the cost of hydrogen storage using a floating storage solution such as the H2Leo will target a capital cost of US$0.2-0.3 million / tonne (US$2-3/kg H2).

This cost difference could make onshore static storage cost-prohibitive for large-scale hydrogen derivative projects, such as ammonia, says Provaris.

The H2Leo floating storage unit will have two cargo tanks with independent isolation, safety valves, and manifolds for compressed hydrogen transfer. The SIMOPS capability allows for continuous production and discharge. ABS has carried out risk and safety workshops to assess and mitigate hydrogen handling risks. Provaris will work with ABS for Design Approval, cargo tank testing, and construction. The H2Leo class will have a fixed beam and depth of 31.00m and 17.00m, respectively, with length and draft varying according to the specified cargo capacity.

Provaris’ Chief Technical Officer, Per Roed, said: “The H2Leo is a flexible hydrogen floating storage unit that can be optimized in size, capacity, and operations for different applications. Its SIMOPs capability allows for continuous operations, and it has a large working deck and hull for installing auxiliary 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.”

The development of H2Leo will run parallel to the remaining engineering and approvals for its H2Neo carrier, targeting prototype testing and final class approval later this year, with H2Leo set to become available in 2025.

In January, Provaris executed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwegian Hydrogen to collaborate on the development on green hydrogen value chain projects in the Nordics. And last year Provaris teamed up with French renewable energy developer Total Eren on plans to transport green hydrogen to Asia and Europe.