12/7/2023 0 Comments Semi submersible crane vessel![]() Which carrier would be best suited to chemically bind hydrogen is a much debated topic. The second method is to chemically bind the hydrogen to a so called carrier. More information about the properties of hydrogen and fuel cells can be found on the insights section of Mr. The hydrogen can then be led through a fuel cell to generate electricity. Or hydrogen can be cooled to -253 ☌, at which point it becomes liquid. For example, hydrogen can be stored under a pressure of 700 bars, which is done for hydrogen automobiles. The first is to compress or cool the hydrogen. Grossly speaking there are two ways of doing so. That is why the research performed by Gilles Hagen is looking into other methods of storing hydrogen. As a result, the storing conditions of hydrogen need to be changed. Obviously, this is not possible on a vessel as space is a limiting factor. If it were to be stored under ambient pressure, the fuel tank would need to be approximately 200 times larger to store the same amount of energy compared to LNG. Because hydrogen gas is the lightest gas in existence, this raises some serious technical challenges. This becomes an issue when it is applied to ships, as it would need to be stored for weeks or months on end. > Why Heerema looks into liquid hydrogen, ammonia and methanolĨ5% of all the hydrogen in the world is produced and consumed on-site, which is why long-term storage was never a big focus on innovation. Hydrogen sounds promising in this regard, but poses serious technical, environmental and commercial challenges. This creates a commercial incentive to look for alternative propulsion systems with renewable fuels. Within this ambition, they are demanding the companies within their supply chains to set the same targets. ![]() Companies such as Ørsted and Equinor have set ambitious targets to be CO2 neutral by 20. Heerema’s customers are also becoming increasingly motivated to do so. It is not only Heerema who acknowledges that hydrogen might play a big roll in the future for powering their vessel. The study performed by Gilles Hagen aims to determine the most preferred way to drive a semi-submersible offshore crane vessel with hydrogen from a shipowner’s perspective. But how many shipowners have actually performed a techno-economic analyses for hydrogen of their vessels? Heerema is paving the way and has taken the largest crane vessel in the world - Sleipnir - as a case study. Hydrogen is considered by many in the industry as a clean alternative to existing marine fuels. > Why hydrogen can help Heerema (and others) That is why Heerema is looking into alternative fuels as well, one of them being hydrogen. Despite it being considered a cleaner fuel, it is still a fossil fuel however. LNG has a low sulphur content, better hydrogen-to-carbon ratio and emits less NOx during combustion. A prime example of this is that Sleipnir is mainly sailing on LNG instead of conventional MGO. A wide range of projects is currently being executed to decrease Heerema’s carbon footprint. The Carbon Neutral Roadmap has been put in place to fully prevent, reduce and if needed compensate all CO2 emissions by 2025. That is mostly achieved by means of purchasing carbon credits at the moment, but they aim to do more. In 2020, Heerema implemented a Carbon Neutral Roadmap, which made them the first carbon neutral marine contractor in the world. They own a fleet of offshore construction vessels, including the worlds largest and second-largest semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir and Thialf. Heerema is a world-leading marine contractor that operates in the oil, gas and renewable energy industry. > Why Heerema is facing the challenge head on Why bother with hydrogen in the first place? Before we can elaborate however, we need to answer one question first. ![]() The subsequent paragraphs of this blog highlight the findings of the study in more detail, including elaboration on the drive trains, the main findings in terms of economics, conclusions to the research questions and finally the main assumptions used. The below gallery is a graphic overview of the main results of the study. This drive train is the most cost-effective solution and poses the least amount of technical challenges. Given the boundary conditions of this thesis, an ammonia-fueled drive train with hydrogen co-combustion is the most preferred method to power the Sleipnir. Three options are identified as feasible hydrogen carriers: liquid hydrogen (1), ammonia (2) and methanol (3). Summary - This thesis performs a technical, economical and environmental feasibility study of dense hydrogen carriers as a fuel to power the largest semi-submersible offshore crane vessel in the world – Heerema’s Sleipnir. A technical, environmental and economical evaluation from a shipowner’s perspective by Gilles Hagen
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |