Samsung Heavy starts to construct ammonia test facility

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries announced on Thursday that it has commenced the construction of an  ammonia test facility at Geoje Shipyard in South Gyeongsang Province.

This is a comprehensive research and development (R&D) facility for ammonia-powered ships, covering an area of 1,300 square meters.

It is planned to be used for performance evaluation, reliability and stability verification of the technologies developed by Samsung Heavy Industries for ammonia-fueled ships.

Over the past year, the company has gone through the design process and recently received technical approval from the Korea Gas Safety Corporation. It has also obtained manufacturing permits from the city of Geoje, enabling it to begin the actual construction.

The goal is to complete the test facility by the end of this year, conduct test operations and start scenario-based testing.

The company has decided to equip its ammonia pilot facility with test equipment for the fuel supply system, liquefaction system and emission reduction system required for ammonia fueling.

In addition, it plans to implement a demonstration of real-time leak detection and alarm systems, toxic neutralization devices and equipment status inspection using a quadruped robot to develop optimal solutions for ammonia toxicity issues.

Ammonia has gained attention as a low-carbon ship energy source as it can be produced, stored and transported without emitting carbon dioxide, and it is relatively cost-effective.

Since 2019, Samsung Heavy has been continuously collaborating with ship owners, classification societies and engine manufacturers to develop ammonia-powered ship technologies.

Recently, it has accelerated its efforts in commercializing ammonia-fueled tankers by signing a memorandum of understanding with MISC, a Malaysian shipowner, and Lloyd's Register, a UK classification society.

After the completion of the ammonia pilot facility, Samsung Heavy plans to expand its R&D facilities to include next-generation energy-related studies such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com