IHI Plant Services, Shimizu Obtain Award for Largest In-Ground LNG Storage Tank

Shimizu Corp. and IHI Plant Services Corp. (IPC), an IHI Group subsidiary, announced that its No. 4 in-ground LNG tank at the Tokyo Gas Ohgishima LNG Terminal obtained official certification from Guinness World Records as the “Largest in-ground LNG storage tank” in the world. IPC and Shimizu jointly constructed the 250,000 m³ storage tank in 2013, which is large enough to contain Osaka Castle’s main keep and features a capacity equivalent to about 365 days of city gas consumption for approximately 360,000 homes.

Tank construction was carried out by a joint venture between IPC and Shimizu, and, despite site constraints, the project successfully achieved large-capacity storage while maintaining high quality and cost efficiency. This was achieved by leveraging a soil-covered raised roof structure and seismic design using advanced technologies. High-strength reinforcing bars and high-compressive-strength insulation were installed to resist unprecedented pressure.

IPC was responsible for the mechanical works, including the steel roof, the inner tank (membrane), and insulation activities. Since 2013, Tokyo Gas operated the tank safely and stably without accident. During this time, the multiple advanced technologies installed have proven their reliability in actual operation. In-ground LNG storage tanks are a Japan-developed technology originating from joint development with Tokyo Gas, integrating membranes designed to accommodate expansion and contraction caused by LNG temperature fluctuation.

Since building Japan’s first in-ground LNG storage tank at the Tokyo Gas Negishi LNG Terminal in 1970, IPC has constructed a total of 37 in-ground LNG storage tanks. Alongside the expansion of LNG adoption in Japan, IPC has actively pursued larger capacity tank development. The company also has experience constructing above-ground LNG tanks in both Japan and overseas.

Ammonia Combustion

In March 2026, IHI Corp. (IHI) and GE Vernova successfully demonstrated 100% ammonia combustion in GE Vernova’s F-class gas turbines, marking a significant step toward carbon-free power generation. The test results aligned with both companies’ roadmap for developing a fully ammonia-fueled gas turbine, targeting commercial deployment by 2030. The demonstration took place at IHI’s specialized test facility, designed to replicate the operating conditions of GE Vernova’s F-class turbines.

Ammonia, widely used in industrial processes such as fertilizer production, is gaining attention as an energy carrier. When paired with hydrogen, it offers a lower-cost, more efficient option for transport and storage. In power generation, ammonia can burn without producing CO₂, supporting the sector’s efforts to reduce emissions. Any air-based combustion, even if operating on a carbon-free fuel, will emit a trace amount of CO₂ based on the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere.

Process Gas Compressor

In February 2026, IHI Corp. and IHI Rotating Machinery Engineering executed a successful demonstration test for a new process gas compressor using CO₂ as the working fluid, achieving a maximum discharge pressure of 20MPaG. The test deployed a turbo-type unit featuring a geared, multi-shaft, multi-stage configuration with multiple pinion shafts driven by an internal gear system.

A successful outcome enables the injection of supercritical CO₂ into deep geological formations, like deep saline aquifers, to advance commercial carbon capture, utilization, and storage and progress industrial decarbonization. Unlike single-shaft, multi-stage compressors where all impellers rotate at the same speed, the geared architecture enables stage-by-stage optimization of impeller speeds, improving energy efficiency and space efficiency.