LOHC: The "optimal solution" for large-scale export of green hydrogenIssuing time:2025-08-29 17:00 There is a significant spatial mismatch in the current global green hydrogen market structure. Major hydrogen-producing regions include the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, and other areas, while potential green hydrogen consumption regions are mostly in developed economies such as Europe, Japan, and South Korea. The difficulty of large-scale cross-sea transportation of hydrogen is obvious. To break through the circulation constraints of being a "gaseous energy source" and truly become a standardized energy commodity, hydrogen must rely on safe, controllable, efficient, low-consumption, and economical storage and transportation technologies for support. Only in this way can the "new artery" for the global flow of green hydrogen resources be unblocked. LOHC: An important option for promoting the development of cross-sea green hydrogen transportation At present, the most mainstream mode of transportation for international bulk energy and chemical trade is large-scale maritime transportation based on the liquid form. Compared with other hydrogen storage and transportation technologies such as liquid hydrogen and liquid ammonia, LOHC exhibits significant advantages in cross-sea transportation scenarios:
Hywin's hydrogen carriers (including LOHC+ and LOHC-) are non-hazardous chemicals. They can be stored at normal temperature and pressure, are non-flammable, non-explosive, and non-volatile. The fire risk level is only Class C-B. As identified by the Chemical Registration Center of the Ministry of Emergency Management in accordance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), the hydrogen storage liquid is classified as a "non-restricted cargo" and can be transported without special packaging.
Marine Cargo Transportation Hazard Identification Certificate for Hywin's hydrogen carriers
The actual available mass density is ≥ 5wt%, corresponding to a volumetric hydrogen storage density of ≥ 50 kg/m³, and there is no need to rely on special tanks or devices to maintain the form.
The hydrogen storage and release reaction processes are mild, and the required comprehensive energy consumption is much lower than technologies such as liquid hydrogen cryogenics and liquid ammonia synthesis, reducing energy losses throughout the entire chain.
It can directly utilize existing infrastructure such as oil storage tanks and ordinary oil tankers, without the need for additional investment in the construction of special storage and transportation equipment, thus significantly reducing investment costs.
Since the hydrogen carriers fall under the category of ordinary chemicals, there are no special restrictions on them in aspects such as cross-border customs declaration, ship selection, route planning, port operations, and tank farm storage. They are compatible with existing logistics processes and regulatory systems, significantly improving transportation efficiency. Liquid chemical tanker Container ship equipped with ISO tank containers From a multi-dimensional comparison perspective, the comprehensive performance of LOHC is optimal in cross-sea hydrogen transportation scenarios, making it a crucial option for advancing the development of large-scale cross-sea green hydrogen transportation.
Comparison of key factors for the application of mainstream liquid storage and transportation technologies in large-scale cross-sea green hydrogen transportation Transportation modes and costs: significant economic advantages The transportation process based on LOHC technology can be broken down into three core stages: "conversion - transportation - reconversion":
Marine transportation flowchart based on LOHC technology Its total cost mainly consists of three parts: conversion cost (including investment in core hydrogen storage/hydrogen release equipment and operating costs such as energy consumption), storage cost, and transportation cost. Taking hydrogen transportation from the eastern coastal area of China to a port on the western coast of South Korea as an example, assuming an annual transportation volume of 10,000 tons and a transportation distance of approximately 500 nautical miles. A cost comparison among the three technologies—LOHC, liquid ammonia, and liquid hydrogen—shows that the conversion cost of organic liquid hydrogen storage is lower than that of liquid ammonia. Its storage cost is even far lower than that of liquid hydrogen or liquid ammonia, which rely on special storage equipment. In terms of transportation, although two-way transportation is required, there are no special requirements for transportation vehicles, so the transportation cost still remains competitive. Since most ports and logistics companies can store and handle hydrogen carriers without additional investment in infrastructure construction, this further highlights its cost competitiveness and feasibility.
Cost comparison of liquid storage technologys Notably, in a hydrogen transportation research report released by Roland Berger, a global strategic consulting giant, conclusions drawn through large-scale scenario simulation calculations also indicate that LOHC technology possesses significant cost advantages and higher feasibility in large-scale hydrogen transportation. Furthermore, due to the considerable restrictive factors faced by liquid ammonia in inland transportation, even if green hydrogen from the Middle East and North Africa reaches European ports (such as Rotterdam) in the form of ammonia, it still confronts challenges in subsequent inland transportation. Meanwhile, hydrogen consumption sites in Japan and South Korea (e.g., natural gas power plants) also attach great importance to the safety of storage media to avoid risks to residential areas. LOHC: Highly promising in large-scale hydrogen transportation Currently, cross-regional green hydrogen trade circles, typically represented by "Middle East - North Africa - Europe" and "China - Japan - South Korea," are gradually taking shape. In the process of various countries exploring "sustainable solutions" for green hydrogen trade, LOHC has garnered significant attention from countries such as South Korea, Japan, and those in Europe, thanks to its comprehensive strengths of "intrinsic safety, efficient conversion, convenient storage and transportation, and economic feasibility." It is expected to become the "optimal solution" for green hydrogen export.
Two cross-regional green hydrogen trading circles Looking ahead to the next 3-5 years, with the large-scale commercial implementation of LOHC technology, a new global energy transformation driven by green hydrogen and starting with large-scale cross-sea transportation is quietly kicking off, injecting crucial momentum into the global zero-carbon transition. |
