HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering invests 22 billion KRW in R&D in Europe

by Choi Seoyoon

Published 28 Apr.2023 10:03(KST)

Development of Carbon Dioxide Capture Technology for Ships

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is expanding its research and development (R&D) investment in Europe to secure future technologies in the shipbuilding and offshore sectors.

On the 28th, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering announced that it will invest 15 million euros (approximately 22 billion KRW) over the next five years, centered on the HD Europe Research Center in Germany. The company plans to actively discover and promote large-scale mid- to long-term projects with local partners, using the HD Europe Research Center as a base.

As part of this effort, since April, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has launched an advanced project for onboard carbon dioxide capture technology (Onboard Carbon Capture System, OCCS) in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh in the UK. OCCS is a technology that captures carbon dioxide from exhaust gases emitted during ship operation to reduce the ship’s carbon emissions.

By 2024, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering plans to optimize and demonstrate the carbon adsorption process so that the University of Edinburgh’s independently developed carbon capture technology (PSA-SPUR) can be applied to ships it constructs. This capture technology is expected to have higher energy efficiency compared to conventional methods by utilizing solid adsorbents.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore held the opening ceremony of the HD Europe Research Center corporation in D?sseldorf, Germany, on the 24th (local time). (From the fourth person on the left) Heo Seung-jae, Consul General of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Germany; Felix Neugart, CEO of NRW Global Trade and Investment Promotion Agency; Jakob Jandert, Professor at the Institute of Propulsion Systems, RWTH Aachen University; Kim Sung-jun, Director of Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore and Head of HD Europe Research Center; Peter Jansen, Director of the J?lich Research Center.

Previously, in April last year, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering established the Global R&D Center, the predecessor of the HD Europe Research Center, in Germany, and verified the possibility of securing technology through global cooperation by conducting joint research on next-generation ship propulsion with RWTH Aachen University in Germany.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is also expanding research cooperation related to hydrogen. It is accelerating the development of large liquefied hydrogen carriers in collaboration with consortia such as the Norwegian Research Council’s SINTEF. Additionally, it continues discussions with European research institutions on future technology fields including new materials for hydrogen tanks, seawater batteries, and fuel cells.

An official from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering stated, “We will actively utilize local partnerships centered on the HD Europe Research Center to secure leading technologies in eco-friendly and digital fields,” adding, “Following the establishment of the HD Europe Research Center, we plan to hire research personnel including a local CTO.”