ISRO chief flags off shipment of India's largest liquid hydrogen storage tank

The shipment of India's largest liquid hydrogen storage tank was flagged off by ISRO Chairman Wednesday at the VRV Asia Pacific's manufacturing plant at Sri City in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. VRV Asia Pacific manufactured the storage tank with a Liquid Nitrogen (LIN) shield, in a collaborative effort with Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, under the Make in India initiative, a press release here said.

The storage capacity of the tank is 120 kilo liters. Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel for satellite launch vehicles. Speaking on the occasion, the ISRO chief congratulated the VRV team and other teams for indigenously realising such an advanced version of the liquid hydrogen storage tank. "I consider this as only a beginning for our cooperation. VRV should come forward to undertake the fabrication works of onboard tanks of rockets as well," he said. SHAR Director S Pandian said shipment of the liquid hydrogen tank was a typical example of ISRO-Industry cooperation for realising import substitutes indigenously.

VRV Managing Director G L Ranganekar explained the technical intricacies of the tank and its realisation process, and thanked ISRO for extending full cooperation. VRV Asia Pacific, a Chart Group company, designs and manufactures cryogenic equipment from its factory located in Sri City. VRV's unit at Sri City is one of the most technologically sophisticated manufacturing facilities of cryogenic equipment in the world. ISRO chairman and other officials inspected the facility on the occasion.

(With inputs from agencies.)