Consortium and partner advance ‘pivotal’ hydrogen tank project at NASA

Global engineering firm CB&I and a consortium including Shell, GenH2, and the University of Houston have developed a large-scale, non-vacuum liquid hydrogen storage tank concept for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

The first-of-its-kind 100,000 cubic metre tank will expand MSFC’s liquid hydrogen storage capacity. It will also support research on material behaviour in cryogenic conditions, simulating typical fill and empty cycles and testing insulation systems that don’t require a vacuum.

The concept is first undergoing a six-month evaluation using a small-scale demonstration tank to assess feasibility and potential improvements.

James Fesmir, Chief Architect at hydrogen infrastructure firm GenH2, said the initiative has helped build testing capabilities for thermal insulation and is generating critical data for advancing global hydrogen use.