Samsung Heavy Industries, together with partners HMM, Panasia, and the Korean Register (KR), has completed South Korea’s first real-world trial of an onboard carbon capture and storage system (OCCS) on a container ship, validating both its technical performance and commercial potential.
Installed in July 2023 on a 2,200-TEU HMM container vessel, the amine-based OCCS was tested monthly over the past year to assess its efficiency under actual operating conditions.
The system captures CO2 using waste heat from the ship’s engine, which significantly reduces the need for additional energy — making it both environmentally and economically viable.
Captured carbon — exceeding 99.9% purity during tests in January and May — was converted into green methanol, a low-emission fuel alternative for ships.
Samsung Heavy Industries highlighted this as a major step toward using captured CO2 as a resource, rather than simply storing it underground.
The successful demonstration supports the broader effort to decarbonize the maritime sector by linking clean technologies across shipbuilding, shipping, and energy.
Relevant: Seabound Launches World-First Onboard Carbon Capture System For Cement Shipping
However, industry experts stress that scaling OCCS solutions will require new onshore infrastructure, legal frameworks, and handling systems for captured carbon.
Lee Dong-yeon, executive vice president and director of the Ship and Offshore Research Institute at Samsung Heavy Industries, said: “OCCS will serve as an energy source for producing eco-friendly fuel and will play a key role in achieving net-zero emissions for ships in the future.”
“We will work to take the lead in the OCCS market through collaboration across the shipbuilding, shipping, and equipment industries.”
Read more: GCMD Completes Pioneering Onboard Carbon Capture Trial In China
