Yesterday, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders Samsung Heavy announced it has received the green light to deploy its cutting-edge on-board carbon capture system for liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ships.
The industry giant obtained what is known as approval in principle (AIP) from the South Korean ship quality assurance and risk management firm, the Korean Register of Shipping (KR).
Samsung Heavy’s groundbreaking new carbon capture tech relies on an amine-based liquid absorbent that separates and recovers CO2 emitted from the exhaust gas of LNG burned in the ship engine.
This step is one of many in the shipbuilder’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality.
And the new system was already developed in 2020 together with Panasia Co., a local ship components manufacturer with an inclination towards environmentally-friendly practices.
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Currently, Samsung Heavy is conducting a performance test of its carbon capture technology at Panasia’s demonstration site in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
Furthermore, the tests come following a contract signed last year with German chemical major BASF S.E. for the provision of carbon capture processing technology as a service.
And beyond that agreement, Samsung Heavy has announced its intentions of making its carbon capture tech specifically designed for LNG-powered ships commercially available by 2024.
Carbon capture for ships – a hot global trend
But Samsung Heavy would not be the only industry player to be actively developing climate tech for its vessels.
Local competitor Daewoo has also been among the major shipbuilders to jump on the bandwagon has also started offering onboard carbon capture for ships last year.
And in neighboring Japan, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha has joined forces with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Class NK in similar, if not even more, ambitious efforts to bring carbon capture to the shipping industry.
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