HD KSOE's new R&D facility will test eco-friendly ship technologies

HD Korea Shipbuilding unveiled the new Marine Innovative Decarbonation R&D Facility to validate eco-friendly ship technologies.

Officials pose for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Marine Innovative Decarbonation R&D Facility at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' yard in Ulsan, including HD Hyundai Mipo CEO Kim Hyung-kwan, fourth from left, and HD KSOE CEO Kim Sung-joon, seventh from left. [HD HYUNDAI]

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) unveiled a research and development (R&D) facility aimed at validating environmentally friendly ship technologies ranging from liquefied CO2 carriers to hybrid electric propulsion ships and hydrogen carriers.

Named the Marine Innovative Decarbonation R&D Facility, the system is engineered to replicate the cargo operation systems found on ships, allowing for the prediction of their performance at sea from a land-based setting.

The facility represents a departure from previous R&D setups, which primarily focused on verifying specific functions like LNG fuel supply. Instead, the new decarbonation R&D facility offers a demonstration of the entire cargo transportation process, encompassing everything from loading to navigation to unloading, according to HD KSOE.

“As environmental regulations continue to tighten, the development of various technologies is under way,” a company official said, adding that “it is also important to ensure their reliability.

“HD KSOE aims to utilize this newly established facility to prevalidate environmentally friendly equipment to be installed on ships, thereby bolstering the stability of newly developed ship types and eco-friendly technologies.”

The facility will first be used in validating LCO2 carriers for which HD KSOE received orders last year, including systems for reliquefaction and dry ice production within cargo holds. The company plans to expand its validation capacity for a broader range of environmentally friendly vessels, such as ammonia carriers, methanol-fueled ships, and hybrid electric propulsion ships by 2026.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Marine Innovative Decarbonation R&D Facility took place at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' yard in Ulsan. Officials such as Kim Sung-joon, CEO of HD KSOE, and Kim Hyung-kwan, CEO of HD Hyundai Mipo, were in attendance.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]