A collaborative study will explore the potential of using liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) for the mass transportation of hydrogen around the UK and Europe.
On 11 February, the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), when announcing the first details, said the project will mark an important step in advancing knowledge of the hydrogen transportation and storage technologies required to enable the development of a Scottish hydrogen economy. The OGTC is working in collaboration with the Scottish government, Global Energy Group, Pale Blue Dot, Port of Cromarty Firth, Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and the Shetland Islands Council.
The first phase will be conducted by ERM, evaluating the techno-economical, safety and environmental benefits of LOHC for marine transportation. The project will also examine the suitability of existing conventional oil and gas assets and ports, as well as gathering evidence to assess the technical and economic feasibility of repurposing existing marine assets for LOHC transportation.
Environmental assessments will be carried out where various mass transportation solutions are compared to determine further phases of the study, which could see trials in four years.