Industry partners to jointly explore the development of a liquefied hydrogen supply infrastructure for Keppel’s data centres in Singapore

May 14, 2021

Keppel Data Centres Holdings Pte Ltd (Keppel Data Centres), Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Kawasaki), Linde Gas Singapore Pte Ltd (Linde), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) and Vopak LNG Holding B.V (Vopak LNG) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly explore the concept development of a supply infrastructure to bring liquefied hydrogen (LH2) into Singapore to power Keppel’s data centres.

Under this MOU, the five industry partners will jointly study the technical and commercial viability of a LH2 supply chain, including the feasibility of having a production and liquefaction plant and export terminal at the exporting country, transportation via ocean-going tankers, as well as an import terminal, storage units and regasification facilities in Singapore. The study is expected to continue till the end of 2021. At that juncture, the partners will decide on the next phase of their collaboration.

The partners envision that the LH2 supply infrastructure will benefit data centre facilities such as the floating data centre park project in Singapore that Keppel Data Centres is currently pursuing1.

There is growing interest worldwide in the use of hydrogen as an energy source because its combustion does not emit carbon dioxide. In its liquid state, hydrogen occupies 800 times less volume compared to its gaseous state, allowing for more compact and efficient storage and transportation. As such, LH2 is gaining traction as a compelling clean energy alternative for land-scarce markets.

Mr Wong Wai Meng, CEO of Keppel Data Centres, said, “In line with Keppel’s Vision 2030, which puts sustainability at the heart of the Group’s strategy, Keppel Data Centres is working hard to decarbonise our operations. We are actively tapping the capabilities of the Keppel Group as well as working with industry partners to explore a range of green solutions such as hydrogen, floating data centres and CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration) technologies. With this MOU, we take another step in our journey to use sustainable energy sources for power generation.”

Dr Motohiko Nishimura, the Executive Officer and Deputy General Manager of Hydrogen Strategy Division of Kawasaki, said, “Kawasaki is promoting a LH2 supply chain pilot demonstration project for the first time in the world. We have accumulated experience and expertise in LH2 technology, including the world’s first LH2 carrier, hydrogen liquefaction facility, LH2 storage tank and LH2 handling facility with loading arm system.”

“Kawasaki will contribute to the establishment of LH2 supply infrastructure by providing optimal solutions to Keppel Data Centres. We are excited to join this innovative project led by Keppel, and look forward to our five companies’ collaboration contributing to decarbonisation and sustainability in Singapore.”

Mr David Burns, Vice President of Clean Energy, Linde, said, “Hydrogen is a powerful energy carrier and is expected to play a significant role in the reduction of carbon emissions, as part of the larger energy transition that is currently underway. Due to its versatile nature, hydrogen can be used for many applications, including the decarbonisation of data centres. We are proud to be working with Keppel and other partners in the development of a climate-friendly solution for their operations in Singapore.”

Mr Kenta Matsuzaka, Senior Managing Executive Officer of MOL, said “MOL is pursuing strategies to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and hydrogen is one of the strong candidates as fuel. MOL targets to develop a commercial and sustainable deep-sea Net Zero Emission vessel by deploying vessels powered by the next-generation fuels by around 2030, which is well-aligned with where this project is going.”

Mr Kees van Seventer, President, Vopak LNG, said, “In 2020, we announced our collaboration with Keppel for an LNG and hydrogen feasibility study. The assessments from that study supports our decision to further explore the development of a LH2 supply infrastructure for Singapore. A hydrogen import terminal has the potential to transform industries like the data centre sector. It will also support long-term emissions reduction in Singapore. Vopak is committed to support the energy transition through development of infrastructure for sustainable energy solutions, underpinned by our New Energy strategy.”