Industrial firms eye Singapore hydrogen infrastructure

A group of industrial firms including Dutch storage operator Vopak and Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (Mol) are considering developing supply infrastructure to import liquid hydrogen into Singapore.

Vopak, Mol, Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries, UK-based Linde Gas and Singaporean conglomerate Keppel signed an initial agreement today to study the technical and commercial viability of a liquid hydrogen supply chain.

This could include setting up a production and liquefaction plant and export terminal at an unnamed exporting country, transportation on oceangoing tankers, and an import terminal, storage units and regasification facilities in Singapore, the companies said.

The hydrogen would be used to power Keppel's data centres in Singapore. The study is expected to run until the end of this year, after which the companies will decide on the next phase of their collaboration.

The rising energy needs of Singapore's data sector are sparking several innovative projects involving energy firms. State-owned Singapore LNG (SLNG), which operates the country's sole 6mn t/yr import facility, is considering using its supplies of chilled seawater to power a supercomputer with around one petaflop of memory that would be installed at its terminal on Jurong island.

By Kevin Foster