South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has started building an ammonia demonstration facility at its shipyard in Gyeongsang province's Geoje city.
The firm received approval for a technical review from government organisation Korea Gas Safety Corporation and acquired a manufacturing permit from Geoje authorities to build the facility.
The project will verify technology related to the development of ammonia-propelled vessels, which SHI plans to complete construction of by the end of this year, it said on 1 June. The facility will be equipped with pilot systems for fuel supply, reliquefaction and emissions reduction. The demonstration facility will also trial various technologies to develop a solution to the issue of ammonia's toxicity.
SHI said it has been developing ammonia-powered vessel technology with other firms since 2019, with it part of a coalition to develop an ammonia-fuelled tanker.
The shipbuilder in April announced plans to convert all 370 of the commercial vehicles that it currently owns or leases to zero emissions vehicles, such as electric or hydrogen vehicles, by 2030. The firm has already introduced 15 commercial electric trucks and one electric car since February, when it joined the K-EV100 in which companies aim to convert 100pc of their domestic commercial vehicles to zero emissions vehicles by 2030.
KSOE eyes liquefied hydrogen cargo tank
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) is separately forming a consortium with 14 EU institutions to develop a 160,000m³ liquefied hydrogen cargo tank by 2026. Joint development of large-scale liquefied hydrogen cargo tank technology will start from June.
The project will be selected for the Horizon Europe programme — the EU's key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5bn that receive subsidies from the EU Commission — involving a total investment of €10mn over four years, KSOE said on 31 May.
KSOE plans to develop a complete hydrogen engine by 2025.
