Experience of working with natural gas can be very useful for starting hydrogen operations in shipping.
Difference
But there are considerable differences between these different fuel types, and on-board configurations that work for natural gas may become dangerous to use for hydrogen.
This is because of hydrogen’s unique properties: H2 is the lightest of all atoms, making it harder to contain, and it can embrittle materials that would be safe to use with natural gas.
For example, hydrogen requires certain types of steel and welded connections rather than fittings. H2 also ignites more easily than natural gas and has a wider flammability range.
“Most of the hydrogen technology we expect to see on board ships will have already been used in other applications such as cars, trucks and other modes of land-based transport and storage. So, we don’t have to start from scratch. Some of the challenges include adapting this technology to the marine environment and making it safe to use in varying environmental conditions, in smaller spaces, and when personnel cannot be evacuated as easily as on land,” says Gerd Petra Haugom, Principal Consultant Environment Advisory at DNV and Phase I Project Manager for MarHySafe.
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Source: maritime executive
