KR Successfully Demonstrates Boil-Off Gas Recycling Technology. (Image courtesy of Korean Register )
SEOUL, June 26 (Korea Bizwire) — In a global first, South Korea’s Korean Register (KR) and HD Hyundai have successfully demonstrated a technology that captures and recycles boil-off gas from LNG-fueled ships under construction, repurposing it as city gas for onshore use.
The trial was conducted at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan shipyard on a dual-fuel LNG container ship currently under construction. The project, initiated in March, seeks to address greenhouse gas emissions during the shipbuilding process by capturing LNG boil-off gas—a byproduct typically flared or vented into the atmosphere—and converting it into a usable energy source on land.
LNG, or liquefied natural gas, naturally evaporates during storage, producing vapor that increases pressure in the fuel tank. While this gas is used as fuel when ships are in operation, it is usually incinerated or released when vessels are docked or under construction—an increasingly restricted practice amid new mandates for alternative maritime power (AMP) usage.
To implement the system, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries collaborated with Donghwa Entec to develop boil-off gas treatment equipment. Korean Register and the Liberian registry verified the full process—from design and fabrication to operational testing.
The technology provides a sustainable alternative by enabling the recovery of over 50 tons of boil-off gas per vessel during construction, converting it into usable city gas via land-based infrastructure.
“This demonstration marks a first in transforming boil-off gas from LNG-powered ships into urban fuel during construction,” said Kim Dong-ryeol, Executive Vice President at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. “It’s a milestone that positions the shipbuilding industry at the forefront of maritime decarbonization.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)