HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been awarded the 'IR52 Jang Young-sil Award' for its core technology in liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) carriers.
The company announced on September 2 that its self-developed 'low-pressure cargo system for liquefied CO₂ carriers' received the 35th 'IR52 Jang Young-sil Award.'
This technology is centered on the mass transport of liquefied CO₂ at ultra-low temperatures of -50°C and a pressure of 7 bar. Existing LCO₂ carriers typically operate at -30°C and 20 bar, requiring thicker cargo tanks to withstand high pressure. This limitation has capped the size of the tanks, with average transport capacity around 7,500 cubic meters.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries successfully developed technology to reduce pressure to 7 bar, allowing for larger cargo tanks. The biggest challenge in this development was preventing dry ice formation, which can block pipes and valves due to slight temperature and pressure changes at -50°C. The company refined its temperature and pressure control technology to maintain the stable state of liquefied CO₂ over several months.
Using this technology, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries constructed the world's largest LCO₂ carrier, with a capacity of 22,000 cubic meters, which was delivered to the Greek shipping company 'Capital Clean Energy Carrier' in January.
As the CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage) market expands, demand for large LCO₂ carriers is expected to rise. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries anticipates that its core technology will enable it to capture a significant share of this market.
An official from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated, "This award recognizes our unique technological capabilities that made the world's largest liquefied CO₂ carrier possible. We will continue to proactively develop differentiated eco-friendly ship technologies to lead the global carbon neutrality market."
Meanwhile, the 'IR52 Jang Young-sil Award' is the highest industrial technology award in South Korea, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association. Established in 1991, it honors new technological products and innovations developed by domestic companies and research institutions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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