Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), PSA Singapore
(PSA) and Japan’s Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda) have begun testing how
hydrogen can be transported and stored as methylcyclohexane (MCH)1
, a liquid form at ambient temperature and pressure, before gaseous hydrogen is extracted from MCH to be used as a clean fuel for horizontal transportation in the port.
As part of this collaboration and trial, PSA has built and operationalised the first
hydrogen refuelling station and provided a hydrogen fuel cell electric prime mover at
Pasir Panjang Terminal in Singapore.
The testbed follows successful laboratory proof-of-concept (PoC) experiments led by
NTU to enable the efficient and economical transport of hydrogen, which can in turn
contribute to the expansion of global hydrogen supply chains.
Hydrogen fuel cells, a promising technology for green energy, produce electricity by a
reaction of hydrogen and oxygen that leaves behind only water and heat as byproducts. As Singapore has no natural resources, it is reliant on importing hydrogen
that can be transported in liquid form through liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC),
which can be used for long-term storage and long-distance transportation of hydrogen
under ambient condition.
The trial at PSA’s Pasir Panjang Terminal is scheduled to run until mid-2025. It aims
to validate how transported LOHC can be stored at an industrial setting, and
subsequently dehydrogenated. The extracted hydrogen can be used as a fuel for
refuelling stations on-site.
In this PoC project, PSA provided a hydrogen refueling station and a prime mover and
shares the demonstration site and utilities with industry partners. PSA is responsible for the construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of the hydrogen
refueling facility.
This pioneering endeavour places hydrogen at the forefront as a potential sustainable
green energy source and plays a pivotal role in expanding the use of hydrogen fuel
within PSA and in Singapore. This collective effort demonstrates that hydrogen
remains a viable decarbonisation pathway through demand aggregation and
innovation.
Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU Vice President (Industry) said: “NTU researchers
have been working closely with partners to develop better catalysts and efficient
reactors for extracting hydrogen, and the promising success of laboratory trials have
led to real-world tests. Liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology is a promising
solution to safely transport hydrogen, enabling green and sustainable technologies.
The pilot-scale trials at Pasir Panjang Terminal with our key partners are a vital next
step in this industry collaboration, in which we envision a future with alternative
sources of energy that are reliable and economical. NTU supports Singapore’s vision
of becoming a sustainable nation, and is committed to environmental sustainability
through impactful, real-world innovations.”
Mr Nelson Quek, Regional CEO Southeast Asia, PSA International, said: “In
collaboration with like-minded industry partners, we are excited to commission the first
hydrogen refuelling facility in the port, a significant step forward in our efforts to
develop a hydrogen refuelling ecosystem in Singapore. PSA will continue to seek
potential technologies and actively test-bed low-carbon, innovative sustainability
solutions that can be deployed beyond the industry, as we strive to collectively
decarbonise and drive greener outcomes across the entire value chain.”
Chiyoda, headquartered in Japan, provides technical expertise through SPERA
HydrogenTM, their proprietary technology that uses dehydrogenation catalysts to
extract hydrogen from MCH as LOCH for storage and transportation as a liquid form
under ambient conditions.
As an advanced technology provider and key project partner, Chiyoda is collaborating
with NTU by applying their engineering expertise and experience to develop and
implement the technology on a national scale, and providing their dehydrogenation
skids to extract hydrogen from MCH.
Mr Koji Ota, President & CEO, Chiyoda, said: “We are delighted to commence this
demonstration using hydrogen for an industrial application which will lead to long-term
CO2 emission reductions in Singapore, and contribute to global decarbonisation
through SPERA Hydrogen. Chiyoda will further accelerate the expansion of its
hydrogen value chain business towards a sustainable future by maximizing the unique
advantages of our SPERA Hydrogen system, including its stability under ambient temperature and pressure, its safe and easy-to-handle characteristics and its cost
competitiveness, intensified by using existing petrochemical infrastructure and
regulations and standards, as demonstrated by this project which operates under
existing laws. This project is of great significance to Singapore and is a major step
forward toward the future diffusion of hydrogen on a global scale.
