11,200 m3 spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tank

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has completed the basic design for an 11,200 m3 spherical liquefied hydrogen storage tank with 10,000 m3 of storage capacity, described as one of the world's largest of its kind. It is designed to store large amounts of liquefied hydrogen at –253°C reliably over long periods. The tank uses a double-shell vacuum-insulation structure, with a vacuum-sealed layer between the inner and outer shells that blocks heat conduction and convection from the outside air. Kawasaki chose a spherical shape because it minimises heat input, which keeps the boil-off rate as low as possible. Discharge is self-pressurised, so no liquid pump is needed. The design builds on the 600 m3 tanks Kawasaki built for the Tanegashima Space Center and the 2,500 m3 tank it built on Kobe Airport Island, and it is offered to industrial gas companies and energy providers.