Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Demonstrates Eco-Friendly Ship and Digital Technology Capabilities

Showcasing LNG and Smart Ship Technologies to Shipowners and Class Societies at the In-House Energy System Test Center
Securing Orders through Technological Competitiveness
Contributing to the Coexistence with Domestic Equipment Industry

At the 'LNG Processing Technology and Smart Ship Solutions Demonstration' held at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Energy Systems Test Center, representatives from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, shipowners, and classification societies are posing for a commemorative photo. Photo by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is demonstrating its eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels and digital technological capabilities through the industry's first integrated testing center, the 'Energy System Testing Center.'

DSME recently announced on the 23rd that it successfully held a demonstration event for eco-friendly LNG processing technology and smart ship solutions at the Energy System Testing Center within the Okpo Shipyard. The event was attended by over 40 key overseas shipowners including Greece's Maran Gas, Japan's MOL, Norway's Frontline, Germany's Hapag-Lloyd, as well as global major classification societies such as France's BV, the UK's LR, and Japan's NK.

At this demonstration, DSME showcased three of its latest technologies to shipowners and classification societies. First, the company presented the performance of its independently developed LNG reliquefaction system called 'NRS.' The NRS is a core device that enhances the operational efficiency of LNG carriers by using nitrogen as a refrigerant to collect natural gas that naturally evaporates during navigation and re-liquefy it for storage.

DSME has already applied this technology to two ultra-large 'LNG-FSU' vessels currently under construction. This is not only the first case of an eco-friendly technology developed purely with domestic technology being applied to an offshore plant, but also draws industry attention with a localization rate of over 90% for key equipment such as compressors and expanders.

Alongside this, reliability verification of high-pressure pumps for LNG carriers was also conducted. This equipment supplies high-pressure fuel to natural gas propulsion engines as an eco-friendly device. DSME jointly developed it with a domestic small and medium-sized partner company, Hyupsung Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., completed certification for durability and safety last month, and is now ready for actual ship application.

Finally, DSME unveiled the connected state of its independently developed smart ship platform, 'DS4.' DS4 proposes optimal routes for vessels in operation, diagnoses the status of key equipment, and provides real-time solutions for ship operation and maintenance, enabling efficient vessel management. During the demonstration, the control center at the R&D campus in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do, located over 400 km away from the Okpo Shipyard in Gyeongnam, was remotely connected to directly control the test equipment, attracting the attention of attendees.

DSME's Energy System Testing Center is a core research facility of the company, established within the shipyard in 2015 as the world's first center capable of cryogenic testing using LNG. It serves as a test bed not only for verifying independently developed technologies but also for the localization of equipment through collaboration with small and medium-sized enterprises.

Choi Dong-gyu, Executive Vice President and Head of DSME Central Research Institute, said, "We are pleased to showcase the world's top-level technology accumulated by the company at this large-scale demonstration event held for the first time in a while since the easing of social distancing due to COVID-19." He added, "The company will continue to enhance its order competitiveness through ongoing research and development while doing its best to localize equipment to revitalize the domestic industry."

Meanwhile, DSME plans to conduct performance verification necessary for eco-friendly technology research using next-generation fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen, in addition to LNG-related technologies, through the Energy System Testing Center.