China launched its first liquid hydrogen tanker truck

On December 28, 2023, Zhangjiagang CIMC Sanctum Cryogenic Equipment Co., a subsidiary of CIMC, achieved a significant milestone by unveiling China's inaugural 40 cubic-meter liquid hydrogen tanker truck in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province. This groundbreaking event represents a noteworthy advancement in China's capabilities related to the production, storage, transportation, and dispensing of liquid hydrogen, signaling the imminent demonstration of liquid hydrogen energy technology within the country.

Liquid hydrogen, boasting a substantially higher energy density compared to high-pressure hydrogen, enables vehicles with equivalent hydrogen tank weights to cover greater distances. Hydrogen storage can take the form of either a gas or a liquid. The former involves high-pressure tanks (ranging from 350 to 700 bar), while the latter necessitates cryogenic temperatures to prevent its reversion to a gaseous state, occurring at −252.8°C.

Despite the fervor among Chinese commercial original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for liquid hydrogen trucks, with several new models showcased in 2023, the country lacked the necessary infrastructure for commercial liquid hydrogen transportation. The 40 cubic-meter liquid hydrogen tanker truck, a creation of Zhangjiagang CIMC Sanctum Cryogenic Equipment Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the world's largest container producer, China International Marine Containers Group Co. (CIMC), fills this void. The company is situated in Zhangjiagang, a port city within the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone in Jiangsu Province.

Throughout the research and innovation process, the company established several national standards, such as the "Mobile Vacuum Insulated Liquid Hydrogen Pressure Vessel." Funding and technological support were provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, as part of the national crucial research and development project titled "Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Energy Technology," specifically focusing on the "Key Equipment and Safety Research for Liquid Hydrogen Preparation, Storage, Transportation, and Refueling."