DSME working with POSCO looks to develop new steel and
technologies to meet the requirements of shipping ammonia or hydrogen (file
photo)
South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering and the leading domestic steel company POSCO are forming a new
partnership to develop materials to meet the requirements for shipping
materials such as liquified carbon dioxide or cryogenic liquified hydrogen.
Jointly they look to strengthen South Korea’s competitive position for the
future of eco-friendly shipping.
CEO
Vice Chairman Kim Hak-dong of DSME announced the new business agreement during
a ceremony to “establish a cooperative system for the development and
application of new materials for shipbuilding,” which will build on the 20-year
cooperation between the companies.
“We
will accelerate the development of new materials and research on welding
technology through a business agreement with POSCO,” explained Daewoo
Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Research Director Choi Dong-gyu.
The
two companies plan to accelerate the development of new materials that can be
applied to future ships and the development of welding technology suitable to
the materials and the requirements of shipping future materials.
"We
are preparing to develop new materials such as special steel that can withstand
high pressure and low temperature to transport liquefied carbon dioxide and
high manganese steel to store and transport cryogenic liquefied hydrogen at
minus 253?,” the companies said in announcing the new collaboration. Among the
specific efforts they identified are ammonia fuel tank development and welding
technology research for ammonia-fueled ships.
During
their previous collaborations, the companies developed a high manganese steel
fuel tank for cryogenic LNG transported at minus 163?. They successfully
developed ultra-thick TMCP steel with a thickness of 80 to 100mm that can
withstand the loading weight of an ultra-large containership and LPG/ammonia at
minus 55?. There are also new materials and advanced welding technology for the
development of the shipbuilding industry, such as low-temperature steel for
cargo holds that can be transported and ARC-7 Yamal icebreaking LNG YP500 steel
for polar region operations.
The companies
report that the high manganese steel tanks have a lower price than conventional
materials, and high strength and wear resistance as well as a good performance
at cryogenic temperatures. The first installation was completed in June 2022
with deck-mounted IMO Type-C LNG fuel tanks on a very large crude oil carrier
(VLCC). A second VLCC has also been fitted with the new tank design and
recently the first square Type-B LNG tank made of high manganese steel was installed on
a new ultra-large containership under construction for Hapag-Lloyd.