Samsung tank technology reached a new benchmark in February 2024 when Samsung C&T Corporation received design certification from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) for a 40,000 cubic metre liquid hydrogen storage tank — the largest of its type certified anywhere in the world.
The tank can hold 2,800 tonnes of liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures of -252.8°C, enough to simultaneously refuel more than 500,000 hydrogen vehicles. The certification followed a year of co-development with Whessoe Engineering, the UK-based specialist in low-temperature and cryogenic storage design.
How the Samsung Tank Design Solved the Boil-Off Gas Problem
The DNV certification process centred on two structural challenges that have historically constrained liquid hydrogen storage at scale: maintaining structural integrity under sustained cryogenic loading, and controlling boil-off gas (BOG) — the tendency of liquid hydrogen to revert to gaseous state as heat penetrates the tank wall.
The samsung tank design incorporates an advanced BOG management system engineered to suppress this conversion and preserve storage efficiency over extended hold periods. Liquid hydrogen’s boil-off rate is more aggressive than LNG at comparable sizes, and BOG losses directly affect the commercial viability of large-scale hydrogen logistics chains.
Yoon Jong-Yi, Vice President of Samsung C&T’s construction division, described the certification as a platform for the company’s green hydrogen and ammonia business expansion rather than a standalone technical achievement.
Samsung Tank Technology at Sea: The SHI Maritime Programme
While Samsung C&T leads on land-based storage, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has developed a parallel technology track focused on ocean transport. SHI’s proprietary membrane-type liquid hydrogen storage tanks are designed to fit the hulls of large-scale liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carriers — with vessel configurations of 160,000 cbm and 80,000 cbm under development.
The system received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register, establishing SHI’s design as a credible alternative to GTT’s membrane technology, which has historically dominated cryogenic containment in the LNG carrier fleet. Achieving design independence from foreign technology suppliers is a stated South Korean industrial policy objective, and SHI’s AiP positions the group competitively for the hydrogen shipping contracts expected to follow final investment decisions on major export corridors.
Active Infrastructure: Samcheok and Gimcheon Projects
Samsung C&T’s samsung tank work is already materialising in domestic South Korean infrastructure. At the Samcheok Power Complex, the company is constructing a clean energy hub featuring a double-walled sealed storage tank with 30,000-tonne capacity. Completion is targeted for July 2027, with the project valued at approximately 140 billion Korean won (roughly $100 million).
A separate project at Gimcheon delivered South Korea’s first off-grid green hydrogen production facility, integrating automated storage units with digital twin predictive maintenance software — giving operators real-time visibility of storage conditions without on-site inspection.
Samsung Tank Scale vs LNG and CB&I Hydrogen Storage
Conventional large-scale LNG storage tanks typically range from 80,000 to 200,000 cubic metres — but LNG benefits from a storage temperature of -162°C rather than the -252.8°C required for liquid hydrogen. The engineering challenge for a samsung tank is proportionally greater: cryogenic insulation systems must perform at temperatures 90 degrees colder than those used in mature LNG infrastructure.
CB&I’s liquid hydrogen storage, whose cryogenic work dates to NASA programmes in the 1960s, currently operates tanks up to 3,800 cubic metres for industrial hydrogen users. Samsung C&T’s 40,000 m³ certified design represents roughly a tenfold increase on the largest commercially operating liquid hydrogen tanks in service today.
For terminal operators evaluating hydrogen infrastructure, that comparison is instructive. The structural steel, insulation, and foundation engineering required for a samsung tank at 40,000 m³ is closer to a full LNG storage project than to the modest hydrogen storage units currently deployed at refuelling hubs.
Samsung Tank Strategy in South Korea’s 2026 Energy Plan
Samsung C&T sits at the intersection of two trends accelerating in 2026: South Korea’s push to develop independent energy supply chain capability, and the broader global effort to establish liquid hydrogen as a viable long-distance traded commodity. South Korea’s 12th Basic Plan for electricity supply includes a significant hydrogen power generation component, creating domestic demand for exactly the scale of storage infrastructure Samsung C&T is now certified to build.
The group’s dual positioning — land-based certified samsung tank design through C&T, and maritime transport capability through SHI — gives Samsung a more complete hydrogen value chain than most individual competitors. Whether that translates into project awards will depend on the pace at which governments and energy majors commit capital to hydrogen import terminals, regasification infrastructure, and the bunkering corridors that connect them.
Terminal operators evaluating hydrogen as a future stored commodity will find Samsung’s certified 40,000 m³ design is the highest-capacity DNV-approved option currently available. The question for 2026 is whether project pipelines mature fast enough to put it to use.
What is the Samsung liquid hydrogen tank capacity?
Samsung C&T’s DNV-certified liquid hydrogen tank design has a capacity of 40,000 cubic metres, capable of storing 2,800 tonnes of liquid hydrogen at -252.8°C.
Who certified the Samsung hydrogen tank design?
Det Norske Veritas (DNV) issued the design certification. Samsung C&T co-developed the tank with Whessoe Engineering, a UK-based specialist in cryogenic and low-temperature storage.
How does Samsung’s hydrogen tank compare to LNG storage tanks?
LNG tanks operate at -162°C; Samsung’s liquid hydrogen design operates at -252.8°C, nearly 91 degrees colder. Commercial LNG tanks typically range from 80,000 to 200,000 m³ — Samsung’s 40,000 m³ certified hydrogen design is considered large by current hydrogen standards.
What is Samsung Heavy Industries’ role in hydrogen storage?
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) develops membrane-type liquid hydrogen storage tanks for maritime LH2 carriers. These have received Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register and are designed for vessels of 80,000 to 160,000 cbm capacity.
What hydrogen projects is Samsung C&T currently building?
Samsung C&T is building the Samcheok Power Complex clean energy hub, featuring a 30,000-tonne double-walled sealed storage tank due for completion in July 2027. It also completed South Korea’s first off-grid green hydrogen production facility at Gimcheon.