HJ Heavy Industries Successfully Develops 8500 TEU Container Ship with Carbon Capture and Storage Technology

Cooperation between Finland and Barzila Completes Joint Development of Eco-Friendly Carbon Capture and Storage Ships

Dual-Fuel Ships, Methanol-Powered Ships, and Hydrogen Ships Open Doors to Global Market

HJ Heavy Industries (CEO Yu Sang-cheol) has succeeded in developing an 8500TEU-class eco-friendly container ship capable of capturing, storing, and unloading carbon dioxide emitted from ships.

With this achievement, HJ Heavy Industries, which has accumulated technological capabilities to accelerate carbon neutrality through the development of LNG dual-fuel and ballast-free ships, methanol-powered ships, and hydrogen ships, has laid the foundation to become a specialized builder of eco-friendly vessels.

In order to proactively respond to the strengthened maritime environmental regulations under the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s '2050 Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions' goal, HJ Heavy Industries signed a joint development MOU last April with Wartsila, a global ship engine manufacturer based in Finland.

Vice President Jan Othman of Barzilla (left) and Executive Director Kim Bo-eon of HJ Heavy Industries are signing an MOU.

Considering the global demand for fossil fuels, the development of CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) technology is essential to realistically achieve net-zero targets.

The two companies shared a commitment to developing next-generation eco-friendly ship technologies capable of carbon neutrality beyond greenhouse gas reduction and devoted about six months to joint research.

They successfully developed a new ship design by applying Wartsila’s CCS system to HJ Heavy Industries’ 8500TEU-class container ship, enabling the capture of carbon emitted from ship engines or boilers, storing it in liquid form, and unloading it.

The Global CCS Institute, a research organization in the carbon capture and storage field, forecasts that the global CCS market will grow by more than 30% annually due to decarbonization policies worldwide, with captured volumes reaching 7.6 billion tons by 2050.

Accordingly, HJ Heavy Industries, recognized for its world-class technological capabilities, is also advancing technology development to secure a leading position in the CCS market.

The 8500TEU-class container ship developed by HJ Heavy Industries this time can capture carbon dioxide with high efficiency sufficient to meet IMO regulations even when using conventional petroleum-based fuels instead of methanol, unlike the company’s methanol-powered ships of the same class. It can also be applied to LNG or methanol-fueled ships to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Additionally, the CCS system has been optimized within the hull so as not to affect the ship’s existing cargo capacity. The fuel required for CCS operation is also minimized through energy-saving equipment, which is a notable feature.

The carbon dioxide captured from exhaust gases is liquefied and stored onboard, then after unloading, it is either stored in underground depleted oil fields or utilized in industries requiring carbon dioxide.

With the development of this 8500TEU-class CCS container ship, HJ Heavy Industries plans to use it as a foothold to secure not only technological competitiveness but also operational economy, aiming to lead the upcoming carbon-zero market and global CCS ship market.

This strategy is expected to actively respond to the growing demand for eco-friendly ships in line with the global carbon-zero trend.

An HJ Heavy Industries official stated, “As IMO’s environmental regulations strengthen, carbon capture technology for ships capable of carbon neutrality is gaining attention,” adding, “We will continue to secure technological capabilities to lead the eco-friendly ship market through ongoing research and development in line with the international community’s 2050 carbon-zero goals.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.