World-first technology operates at minus 50°C and 7 atmospheres
New system triples LCO₂ cargo capacity, positioning company to lead global market
![The Active, a 22,000-square-meter vessel recognized as the world's largest LCO₂ carrier, was built by HD Hyundai Heavy using newly developed technology that operates at minus 50°C and 7 atmospheres of pressure, enabling it to carry three times more cargo than conventional ships. [HD Hyundai Heavy]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/03/news-p.v1.20260903.eca1f2b64c8f4a3880894182adf63900_P1.jpg)
HD Hyundai Heavy has won the IR52 Jang Yeong-sil Award for its independently developed low-pressure cargo system for liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) carriers.
The IR52 Jang Yeong-sil Award is an industrial technology prize presented by the Ministry of Science and ICT to recognize companies and research organizations that have achieved outstanding results in new-product development and technological innovation, with the aim of encouraging further research and boosting morale among developers.
The technology's core innovation is the ability to transport liquefied carbon dioxide in bulk at minus 50°C and 7 atmospheres — ultra-low temperature and pressure conditions.
Conventional LCO₂ carriers operate at minus 30°C and 20 atmospheres, requiring thick-walled cargo tanks capable of withstanding the high pressure — a constraint that has limited tank size and kept average transport capacity to around 7,500 cubic meters.
HD Hyundai Heavy reduced the operating pressure to 7 atmospheres, enabling a single voyage to carry three times more carbon dioxide than before. The company built the world's largest LCO₂ carrier at 22,000 cubic meters and delivered it in January to Greek shipping firm Capital Clean Energy Carrier.
Demand for large LCO₂ carriers is expected to grow as the market for carbon capture, utilization and storage expands. HD Hyundai Heavy said it hopes the new core technology will allow it to secure an early lead in the global market.
cityblue@heraldcorp.com
