Korean Shipbuilding and Shipping Unite for 'Carbon Neutrality'... Capturing Carbon Emissions from Ships

by Oh Hyungil

Published 28 Apr.2023 10:40(KST)

The Nation's First Demonstration of Ship Carbon Capture and Liquefied Storage

HMM, Samsung Heavy Industries, Panasia, and Korean Register join forces to secure domestic technology for carbon reduction in the shipping industry.

The representatives of four companies in the shipbuilding and shipping industries are taking a commemorative photo after signing an agreement on the demonstration project for a carbon capture system for ships on the 28th. From the left, Lee Young-seok, Head of KR Business Division; Jung Jin-taek, President of Samsung Heavy Industries; Kim Kyung-bae, President of HMM; and Lee Soo-tae, Chairman of Panasia.

On the 28th, the four companies announced that they signed a business agreement for an integrated demonstration study of ship carbon dioxide capture, liquefaction, and storage technology (OCCS). They plan to form a joint working group and conduct an at-sea demonstration study within the year by directly installing the OCCS developed purely with domestic technology on a 2100TEU-class container ship currently operated by HMM.

This demonstration, the first of its kind in Korea, will be equipped with a large-capacity OCCS capable of capturing and liquefying 24 tons of carbon dioxide per day. Samsung Heavy Industries and Panasia will be responsible for design, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, while HMM will handle actual operation. Korean Register will conduct risk assessments of the ship.

During the demonstration period, the carbon dioxide captured from the container ship’s exhaust gas will be utilized on land for smart farms and dry ice production.

Samsung Heavy Industries and Panasia plan to enhance the reliability of OCCS technology and commercialize it through productization, while HMM intends to actively use it as one of the response strategies to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-led ship greenhouse gas environmental regulations.

Lee Dong-yeon, Executive Director of Samsung Heavy Industries’ Shipbuilding and Marine Research Institute, said, “OCCS technology will become a representative eco-friendly solution that can greatly contribute to creating new value by reducing carbon emissions in the shipping industry. The four companies will cooperate to lead domestic technological independence and expand its foundation.”

Kim Kyu-bong, Head of Maritime Affairs at HMM, emphasized, “The most important task in the shipping industry recently is establishing and implementing greenhouse gas reduction strategies. Through this cooperation, we will realize securing leading operational technology and building a value chain.”