Provaris Energy Ltd. has advanced its compressed hydrogen technology nearer to commercial-scale production with a technical partnership agreement with Himile Heavy Industries from China so as to establish a manufacturing pathway when it comes to its proprietary hydrogen tanks.
The deal builds on the prototype fabrication and class approval work from Provaris in Norway and will review large-scale production of tanks for the H2Neo™ hydrogen carriers and H2Leo™ storage barges of the company, in addition to other potential applications.
The partnership will include laser welding automation, robotic fabrication systems, production capacity, and cost estimates, as well as manufacturing readiness.
The results are expected to promote engagement of Provaris with shipyards alongside shipping partner ‘K’ LINE. It will also consider possible long-term manufacturing and licensing opportunities, such as the ones in China.
From Prototype to Volume Production
This collaboration follows the latest visit by Himile engineers to the Hydrogen Prototype Tank Program and Robotics Innovation Center of Provaris located in Fiskå, in Norway, where they examined robotic welding systems and digital manufacturing tools as well as production workflows.
This collaboration that leads to advancement of compressed hydrogen technology marks a significant milestone in moving its proprietary compressed hydrogen tank and integrated ship designs from prototype fabrication to serialized commercial production, enhancing technical preparedness and promoting future project bankability.
As per Martin Carolan, Provaris managing director and CEO, “We are delighted to team up again with Himile, a recognized global leader in pressure vessel fabrication. The collaboration with Himile represents an important next step in our pathway towards commercialization of Provaris’ proprietary hydrogen shipping designs required to support regional supply chains.”
Himile gets into industrial manufacturing scale
It is worth noting that Himile brings substantial heavy engineering expertise to the partnership with three operating yards covering over 800,000 sq m, roughly 3,000 direct employees, which includes 800 engineers, and a 17-year operating history.
The company has supplied over 25,000 pressure vessels and is proficient in automation and construction of complex modules for the oil and gas and offshore industries along with heavy engineering as well as steel fabrication.
The objective is to integrate proprietary tank designs, digital manufacturing systems, and robotic laser-welding expertise of Provaris with industrial-scale fabrication and automation capabilities of Himile.
The president of Himile Heavy Industries, Zongkui Han, remarked, ” We are pleased to partner with Provaris on hydrogen tank fabrication. This forward-looking collaboration aligns closely with global hydrogen energy policy priorities. Leveraging our proven heavy equipment fabrication expertise, we are fully dedicated to driving the success of this joint initiative.”