Classification society DNV and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR) have awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CO. (KSOE) for a new 40,000 CBM liquified CO2 carrier design. The handover of the AiP certificate took place during the Gastech trade fair in Dubai.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is gaining traction as a technology to reduce the impact of CO2 emissions. Maritime transport will play an essential role in the CCS value chain, which is expected to lead to an increasing demand for liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers.
HHI’s and KSOE’s 40,000 CBM LCO2 carrier design is a milestone in this emerging vessel segment. The new design would be the largest in its class, with current carriers limited to less than 2,000 CBM.
“Obtaining the AiP for this innovative large scale LCO2 carrier is a meaningful technological milestone. We believe our self-developed LCO2 carrier will contribute to global decarbonization efforts by providing tailor-made designs according to each ship owner’s specific requirements,” said Mr. Won-Ho Joo, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer at HHI.
“This is a ground-breaking project that is key to meeting the maritime industry's greater goals of energy efficiency and decarbonization. I am proud to have had Liberia working so closely alongside our partners at DNV and HHI on this project,” said Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of LISCR.
“This project will be very important for the design and capabilities of the LCO2 fleet of the future. We are pleased to be at the forefront of this development,” added Thomas Klenum, Senior Vice President of Maritime Operations, who led LISCR’s review and approval process.
"We are delighted to work with HHI, KSOE, and LISCR, and to be able to approve this innovative LCO2 carrier design," commented Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager Korea & Japan at DNV Maritime. "Our role is to support bringing these ship designs to life for a safer and more sustainable future."
The 40,000 CBM class LCO2 carrier is 239m long, 30m wide, and has a depth of 21m. The vessel will be equipped with seven IMO type-C cargo tanks with a total capacity of 40,000 CBM. It is designed to carry LCO2 cargo only, but multi-cargoes such as LPG or ammonia can also be considered.