Hyundai E&C joins government project to develop core CCS infrastructure technology

Hyundai E&C said Thursday it will join a national project to develop core infrastructure technology for liquefying and transporting carbon dioxide captured from industrial sites.

The project, led by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, is titled "Multi-source CO2 pretreatment, liquefaction and bunkering hub demonstration technology development."

The initiative aims to develop integrated infrastructure technology capable of purifying CO2 collected from different industrial sites to high purity, converting it to a liquid state, and then storing and transporting it. Focused on developing core technology for carbon capture and storage (CCS) hubs to be built around industrial complexes and ports, the project will work to localize technology for liquefying, storing and shipping large volumes of CO2 by vessel.

Hyundai E&C will handle CO2 liquefaction process design and integrated engineering linking pretreatment, liquefaction and loading and unloading operations. The company plans to advance process optimization technology based on demonstration plant design and operational data, build up engineering capabilities to apply those advances to plant design, and strengthen its design competitiveness for large-scale CCS hub construction.

The company also plans to develop design technology connecting liquefied CO2 storage tanks, terminals and port infrastructure, establishing an engineering framework applicable to domestic and overseas CCS hub and carbon transport infrastructure projects.

The project brings together a broad consortium of academic, research and industry partners, including the Institute of Advanced Technology, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Seoul National University, Dong-A University, Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Glovis, HD Korea Shipbuilding and GS Caltex. The participating organizations plan to demonstrate the full cycle — from CO2 capture through storage, transport and utilization — and verify commercial viability.

"Infrastructure for safely and efficiently storing and transporting CO2 is a cornerstone of achieving a carbon-neutral society," a Hyundai E&C official said. "We will continue to advance our CO2 liquefaction and hub infrastructure design technology and strengthen our competitiveness in domestic and overseas carbon capture, utilization and storage projects."

Meanwhile, Hyundai E&C has recently been moving to secure an early position in the future energy transition market, including joining a project to develop sustainable aviation fuel.