The world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier left Japan on Friday to pick up its first cargo in Australia in a project that has been delayed this year by Covid-19.

Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)， which is in charge of the project， is looking at building more ships to carry this ultra-chilled substance.

The world’s first LH2 carrier， the Suiso Frontier， built by KHI， carries cargo cooled to –253°C; at this temperature， hydrogen is at atmospheric pressure and occupies just 1/800 of its original vapour volume. Suiso Frontier has one， 1，250 cum vacuum-insulated， Type C storage tank with KHI now working on creating larger designs.

The hydrogen has been produced by a prototype brown coal gasification facility at Port of Hastings in Victoria， South Australia.