Meet Paul Louis Kiesow, the 20-year-old CEO who has set his sights on one of the most complex challenges in the energy transition: shipping liquid hydrogen at –253°C across the globe.
While most people his age are deciding on college majors, Kiesow is negotiating with shipyards in Asia and the Gulf, designing tankers sixty times larger than today’s hydrogen carriers, and drawing on NASA-inspired engineering to keep costs down.
Armed with €10 million from Qatari investors and a business plan that challenges entrenched players like Shell and Kawasaki, Kiesow is betting on liquid hydrogen as the most efficient transport solution in a market still taking shape. His vision combines youthful boldness with seasoned partnerships, aiming to deliver ships by 2029 that could help make large-scale hydrogen trade commercially viable.
WATCH THE INTERVIEW
Paul Louis Kiesow: Thank you very much for the invitation. I’m very happy to meet you and to answer all the questions that might interest people.
Interviewer: So, Paul, you’re building ships to carry hydrogen at -253°. Most people can’t even keep their coffee hot. What made you think this was possible?
Paul: Back in the day, we looked at all the different forms of hydrogen transport: gaseous hydrogen under pressure, liquid hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and more. After extensive analysis, we saw that liquid hydrogen is the most efficient. Many people focused on ammonia, but the best efficiency and cost come from liquid hydrogen if it’s handled correctly.
Interviewer: How do you convince 50-year-old energy executives to take you seriously at 20?
Paul: I have a co-founder who is 58, so we combine youthful energy with experience. Walking into the room with the right confidence and technical background helps. Once you pitch with confidence, they listen.
Interviewer: Your ships are 60 times larger than current hydrogen tankers. Genius or insanity?
Paul: Compared to oil and LNG ships, which are much larger, our size is actually moderate. We analyzed different sizes and concluded that 60,000 cubic meters is commercially viable. This size is a good start for the hydrogen industry.
Interviewer: Who’s going to build the ships?
Paul: We’re in early talks with shipyards in the GCC region and Asia. Europe is too costly. Asia and the Arab region have the right capacity and cost efficiency.
Interviewer: Liquid hydrogen evaporates easily. How much cargo is lost during transport?
Paul: For a 30-day trip, we plan for about a 3% loss. We use a common technique to power the ship with the evaporated hydrogen, so it’s not wasted.
Interviewer: You claim transport costs of two euros per kilogram, while others charge double.
Paul: That’s a general number and depends on project size and production volume. We’re using two innovations: a more efficient ship design and improved tanks. Our tanks are inspired by NASA’s engineering but optimized for cost and efficiency for logistics, not space rockets. That’s how we achieve lower costs.
Interviewer: Why not ship ammonia instead?
Paul: Ammonia is easier to handle in some ways, but the chain has inefficiencies: production losses, high building costs, and purification issues at the end-user stage. Liquid hydrogen is more efficient, especially for clients using pure hydrogen.
Interviewer: What’s the cost to build one ship?
Paul: For a 60,000 cubic meter ship, the maximum estimate is 200 million euros. The final number depends on detailed engineering, but this is well below the market.
Interviewer: What if European hydrogen demand is lower than expected?
Paul: We’re building our own infrastructure and working with producers in the Gulf, North Africa, and South America. We’re also in conversations with European and Asian customers. Risk is always present, but we minimize it.
Interviewer: Hydrogen has failed to take off for decades. Why is it different now?
Paul: Oil and gas are running out and demand keeps rising. Hydrogen provides a green, emission-free alternative. With better technology and pressure to act on climate change, this time the market is ready.
Interviewer: How does a startup compete with Shell and Kawasaki?
Paul: We believe in our technology, have strategic partners, and aim to capture a share of a very large industry. Competitors like Shell and Kawasaki help grow the hydrogen market, and we take our piece of the market alongside them.
Interviewer: What technical problem could kill your business?
Paul: We’ve analyzed everything carefully. No major technical problem should jeopardize the project.
Interviewer: These ships are basically floating bombs. How do you manage that risk?
Paul: We have safety procedures and sensors. Hydrogen may seem dangerous, but accidents like the Hindenburg show that it burns rather than explodes. We vent safely if leaks occur, preventing catastrophic risks.
Interviewer: The Gulf, Australia, Chile—all want to export hydrogen. Why will the Middle East win?
Paul: The Middle East has excellent solar conditions, vast empty land for production, and leadership with experience in large-scale energy projects. This gives them cost efficiency and scale advantages. Other regions like Chile, Morocco, and Namibia are also strong, but the Middle East has a strategic edge.
Interviewer: You’re building for a hydrogen economy that doesn’t exist yet. How do you time it correctly?
Paul: We plan years ahead with governments, producers, and offtakers. It takes time to set up projects, so we start planning three years before operation to ensure alignment.
Interviewer: Pipelines versus ships—when does your model become obsolete?
Paul: Pipelines work well for short distances. For long-distance, multi-country transport, shipping is more efficient. Pipelines face regulatory hurdles, whereas ships have simpler logistics.
Interviewer: What’s your backup plan?
Paul: One option is building our own shipping company. Another is selling licenses to oil, gas, or shipping companies. Our focus remains on hydrogen shipping.
Interviewer: The pressure of 10 million euros at your age—how does that feel?
Paul: It’s a bit of pressure, but investors are supportive and trust our approach, which makes it manageable.
Interviewer: Biggest misconception about hydrogen?
Paul: People think it’s space-age technology and too expensive. In reality, hydrogen is viable for industries, automotive, aviation, and even private use. Costs decrease as the industry scales.
Interviewer: The climate crisis is urgent, but infrastructure takes decades. How do you handle that tension?
Paul: Like Tesla with electric cars, infrastructure grows faster than expected once governments back it. Hydrogen can scale quickly with support and urgency.
Interviewer: When will the first ship set sail and what are the bottlenecks?
Paul: The first ship by 2029. Bottlenecks include class approval, finding shipyard partners, and ensuring demand from offtakers.
Interviewer: How will the world look in 2030?
Paul: Initial projects, small-scale hydrogen transport, early hydrogen fueling stations, and industrial adoption. The real expansion will come by 2040, with broader adoption in trucks, aviation, and cars.
Interviewer: Long-term plan for your company?
Paul: Start with ships, then expand to fueling stations and production projects with government partnerships. Our goal is to become a major player in the hydrogen market, similar to oil and gas giants.
Interviewer: Thank you, Paul.
Paul: Thank you for having me.
