HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Engine & Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) held a webinar on the HiMSEN decarbonization strategy on Oct. 30 and said it plans to test a prototype methane oxidation catalyst technology by the third quarter of next year.
Kim Yong-woo, chief engineer of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine Machinery Division, said in the webinar, “We aim to test a prototype methane oxidation catalyst technology by the third quarter of next year. The development of the methane oxidation catalyst system is part of the company’s efforts to reduce methane leakage (methane emitted from incomplete combustion) from dual-fuel four-stroke engines.”
Methane oxidation catalysts are known to reduce methane leakage from LNG engines. Methane leakage occurs during the combustion of LNG, and unburned LNG is released into the atmosphere. The technology reduces carbon emissions by converting methane into carbon dioxide and water through a chemical reaction called catalytic oxidation.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is currently engaged in the development of a 1.2-3.5MW engine based on clean methanol. By adding methane oxidation catalyst technology, emissions such as carbon dioxide and fine dust will be greatly reduced, ushering in the era of environmentally friendly ships.
Methanol is easy to store and transport at room temperature and pressure, and reduces sulfur oxides (SOx) by 99%, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 80%, and particulate matter (PM) by 95% when compared to conventional heavy fuels. In particular, methanol can be stored as a liquid at room temperature, making it in many ways the most efficient fuel for the hydrogen economy compared to less efficient gaseous hydrogen for storage and transportation, energy-intensive liquefied hydrogen, and highly toxic ammonia.
Late last year, HD KSOE HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also developed a powerful 1.5 megawatt (Megawatt) LNG hydrogen engine utilizing proprietary technology.