The Korean Register(KR) has awarded Approval in Principle(AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries(SHI) and Panasia for their ‘Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage System(OCCS)’, a eco-friendly technology which captures the carbon dioxide(CO2) emitted in the exhaust gases generated from the internal combustion engines of ships.
Efforts are being made to reduce carbon worldwide, and the International Maritime Organization(IMO) has set a goal to reduce carbon intensity by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008. As part of this, the Carbon Intensity Indicator(CII) now measures the operational efficiency of ships on international voyages.
As a result, many shipowners are considering installing carbon capture devices and adopting eco-friendly alternative fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol in order to comply with the CII regulations.
The optimized wet absorption type carbon dioxide capture device developed by SHI and Panasia is the result of three years of joint R&D and seeks to address the need for additional carbon reduction technology to realize carbon neutrality in the mid- to long-term. The system is the very first of its kind to be developed in Korea and KR conducted the HAZID analysis to assess the system’s risk factors.
KIM Daeheon, Executive Vice President of KR’s R&D division, said: “This AIP is an extremely important step to help shipping companies stay compliant with the stringent decarbonization regulations. KR is committed to actively supporting the application of these eco-technologies, and to helping shipping companies meet their environmental obligations for the good of the industry and society as a whole.”