Kandla: INOXCVA, an Indian multinational, among the world’s leading manufacturers of cryogenic equipment and solutions, flagged-off the largest bulk Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tank ever made in India. Built with a massive storage capacity of 238 m3, the Tank embarked on its journey from INOXCVA’s Kandla facility to its destination for a clean energy demonstration project in South Korea. This bulk cryogenic storage tank is built to European Standards and to meet the Korean Gas Safety (KGS) requirements.

In 2020, Doosan Corporation announced the construction of South Korea’s very first hydrogen liquefaction plant of 5 Tons Per Day capacity for the Changwon Hydrogen Liquefaction Project with Gyeongnam Province, Changwon City, at Doosan’s site at the Changwon Port. The plant is slated to commence commercial operations in 2023, offering supplies to hydrogen charging stations nationwide for buses, trucks and trams, that need to be recharged with hydrogen as ultimate clean fuel.

Doosan Corporation had signed an agreement with Air Liquide Engineering & Construction to support the construction of this liquid hydrogen plant as an enabler of clean transport development in the country. Under this framework, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction, France, placed the order for the design, manufacturing and supply of a Liquid Hydrogen tank with a capacity of more than 238 m3 to INOXCVA.

Speaking on the historic milestone in India’s cryogenic journey, Siddharth Jain, Director, INOXCVA said, “We are honored to have designed, engineered and manufactured the largest liquid hydrogen tank ever made in India, and become a part of a global clean energy initiative. We have demonstrated our world-class cryogenic capabilities for projects of such magnitude. This tank, which is first in a series of many such solutions to be manufactured at our Kandla facility, will strengthen India’s Hydrogen infrastructure and support the country’s vision of becoming a Green Hydrogen Hub and augment the adoption of this clean gas as an energy alternate.”

Hydrogen, a clean energy source, is liquefied at a cryogenic temperature of -253°C, making it dense enough to be stored and transported as liquid hydrogen since its gaseous volume reduced by 800 times when liquified. Hydrogen is recognised as the ultimate solution to the environmental challenges of clean transportation: reduction of greenhouse gases, pollution in cities, and dependency on fossil fuels. South Korea is amongst the leading countries in the development of hydrogen as a clean energy source. This new liquefier is in line with the South Korean Government’s plan to considerably densify the network of hydrogen stations in the country with 310 stations and more than 67,000 hydrogen vehicles across the country.