NTU Singapore, PSA Singapore and Japan’s Chiyoda Corporation have commenced trials to explore the transportation and storage of hydrogen in the form of methylcyclohexane (MCH).
This method allows hydrogen to be stored as a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure before being converted back to gaseous hydrogen for use as a clean fuel in port operations.
As part of this collaboration, PSA has established and activated the first hydrogen refuelling station and introduced a hydrogen fuel cell electric prime mover at Pasir Panjang Terminal in Singapore.
This initiative builds on successful laboratory proof-of-concept experiments led by NTU, demonstrating the efficient and economical transport of hydrogen. These efforts are aimed at enhancing global hydrogen supply chains.
Hydrogen fuel cells, recognized as a promising green energy technology, generate electricity through the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water and heat as by-products. Singapore, lacking natural resources, relies on importing hydrogen. This hydrogen is transported in liquid form via liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC), which facilitate long-term storage and long-distance transport under ambient conditions.
The trial at PSA’s Pasir Panjang Terminal, running until mid-2025, seeks to validate the industrial storage and subsequent dehydrogenation of transported LOHC. The extracted hydrogen will be used to fuel on-site refuelling stations.