On May 27, South Korea’s mid-sized shipyard K Shipbuilding (formerly STX Offshore & Shipbuilding) has received Approval-in-Principle (AiP) from the Korea Register (KR) for the conceptual design of a 12,000 m3 liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) carrier.
The certified LCO₂ carriers were developed through a four-party Joint Development Project (JDP), with project partners including K Shipbuilding, LNG carrier refrigeration materials specialist Donghwa Intec, equipment/green energy solutions specialist Sunbaek Industrial and KR.
Specifically, based on its experience in the development of environmentally friendly vessels such as ammonia and methanol, K Shipbuilding is responsible for the foundation and structural design of the 12,000 m3 LCO₂ carrier; for the joint development of liquid cargo and fuel tanks with Donghwa Intec and the application of medium-pressure stand-alone cargo tanks (Type C) that ensure the safety of transportation; for the joint development with Sunbaek Industrial of a cargo handling system and an LNG fuel supply system to ensure that the CO₂ remains stable during transportation.
KR verified the stability and applicability of the conceptual design of this LCO₂ carrier by reviewing the classification rules and domestic and international regulations.
With the further tightening of global environmental regulations, the market demand for LCO₂ carriers is expected to increase.
With this in mind, K Shipbuilding is preparing for the future, basing on its experience and competitiveness in the mid-sized petrochemical carrier market.
Energy consultancy Rystad Energy earlier predicted that over 90 million tons of carbon dioxide would be transported annually by 2030 based on currently planned carbon capture projects, requiring 48 gas processing terminals and a fleet of 55 LCO₂ carriers.
