20th March 2024, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Background
As part of the Department for Transport funded Hydrogen Highway project led by Port of London Authority, The University of Strathclyde and OS Energy successfully completed a viable solution for the future roadmap of maritime hydrogen transportation. Building upon the findings of WP3-Hydrogen Production System, which proposed containerised compressed hydrogen transportation via container ships, O.S Energy has designed an 80-meter-long autonomous container ship capable of carrying 120 standard TEU containers.
The autonomous containerised hydrogen transport system was demonstrated within the wave tank of the Kelvin Hydrodynamic Laboratory at University of Strathclyde.
During the demonstration, attendees had the opportunity to observe detailed models of both the offshore platform and the transporting container ship. These models are representative of the innovative design elements incorporated into the full-scale platform and ship, including the modularised design of the offshore hydrogen system, ship propulsion system, and ship autonomous system. Notably, the demonstration featured the implementation of automatic berthing and mooring operations.
The demonstration showcased the feasibility of using hydrogen-fuelled container ships to transport containerised hydrogen between offshore platforms and ports.
Following the successful demonstration of the Autonomous Network Transport at Sea (ANTS) ship, it’s clear that autonomous berthing offers a viable solution for offshore hydrogen transport, and will be an important element of the maritime hydrogen highway.
Autonomous ANTS ship operations promise enhanced efficiency for offshore transportation, contributing to the UK’s competitiveness in the global maritime market while promoting clean fuels and smart technology adoption in offshore hydrogen platform networks.
To find out more about the Hydrogen Highway project click here.