One Stop Solution for Eco-Friendly Ship Propulsion Engine Testing

- Improving Conditions for Eco-Friendly Ship Technology Development with Integrated Testing Platform Ready by 2025-

□ The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Seong-Hyeok, Moon) announced that it will develop the world’s first integrated testing platform which will allow the testing and verification of a wide range of ship propulsion engines, including electric and on-ship hydrogen-power, to drive the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and create an sustainable ecosystem for the shipbuilding and shipping industry.

□ The global shipbuilding and shipping industry is shifting from fossil fuel to eco-friendly propulsion systems in response to institutional changes, such as stricter greenhouse gas regulations, from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the planned implementation of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS). The Korean government is responding proactively to new maritime environmental regulations and the emerging eco-friendly ship market with new legislation, such as the Act on Promoting the Development and Distribution of Eco-Friendly Ships (January 2020) as well as the announcement of the 2030 Greenship-K Strategy last December. The development of the eco-friendly ship testing platform development project is part of the initiative, with a budget of 36.4 Bil. KRW to be invested over 5 years, from 2021 to 2025.

□ Currently, the development of new eco-friendly ship propulsion engines requires the building of a separate demonstration vessel for testing each engine. With the integrated testing platform in development, just a single demonstration vessel would be used to test different engines: a game-changing development in reducing the cost of demonstration vessel construction (10-30 Bil. KRW per vessel).

□ On April 23rd, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries selected the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology’s Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean engineering(KRISO) (President Booki, Kim) and Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials as lead institutions for the research project. They are joined by 8 private enterprises and universities* along with the Korean Register of Shipping (KR), Jeollanam-do Province and the city of Mokpo, participating as research partners and investors.

* Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries, KTE, San Engineering, Far East Ship Design & Engineering, Leeyoung SND, Allforland, Kunsan National University

□ The research institutes will commence work on the project from early May and develop technologies for the eco-friendly integrated testing platform as well as fuel technologies, such as an LNG-ammonia combination fuel* engine for ships with higher emissions reduction than LNG fuel by 2025.

* While LNG ships produce up to 30% lower greenhouse gas emissions, the reduction can go up to 50% when LNG is mixed with carbon-free fuel (ammonia etc.)

□ Furthermore, a 5,000㎡ testing and research complex will be built in the Mokpo Namhang redevelopment site. Eco-friendly shipbuilding corporations and research institutions will be able to conduct cost-effective testing of their new technologies in the facility when the project is completed in 2025.

□ Mr. Do-hyeong Ku, head of the Marine Development Division, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries commented, “We expect a huge improvement in the conditions for eco-friendly ship technology development through this project... we will ensure the smooth implementation of the project from start to finish, contributing to the active development of Korean eco-friendly ship technology and carbon-neutrality in our society.”