A South Korean public-private partnership comprising 10 maritime organisations has reached a milestone in the development of international safety guidelines for onboard carbon capture and storage systems (OCCS) after the proposal jointly developed by its members was selected as the base document for further development at the IMO.
At the IMO’s 12th session of the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 12), the working group agreed to use the proposal from the Korean partnership as the basis for developing interim OCCS safety guidelines, incorporating elements of a separate proposal from the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS).
Established in April 2026, the partnership is led by Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, with Korean Register (KR) overseeing regulatory development. Its members include HMM, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Hanwha Ocean, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Power Systems, HI Air Korea, Panasia and the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO). Drawing on the partners’ operational, shipbuilding, manufacturing and research experience, KR consolidated the technical contributions into a single regulatory proposal, which was submitted to the IMO through the Korean Ministry.
CCC 12 agreed to establish a correspondence group on GHG Safety under Korea’s coordination to advance the guidelines. Joonghun Kim from KR’s Convention & Legislation Service Team has been named coordinator of the group and will bring together contributions from IMO member states and international organisations to develop common safety requirements, with technology-specific annexes to be considered if time permits. The group will report its progress to CCC 13 in 2027.
Kyung-bok Kim, KR EVP, said: “The practical experience, knowledge and expertise of the entire 10-member partnership have led to an important milestone in the development of OCCS safety standards at an IMO level. Our next step is to bring contributions from member states and international organisations together to develop workable safety requirements. By leading the development of OCCS standards, Korea is leading the charge in the global decarbonisation of the maritime industry, helping to ensure that safe, workable OCCS solutions become a practical reality for vessels worldwide.”
The proposal builds on Korea’s multi-year OCCS development work, including raising safety concerns about the location of onboard CO₂ storage tanks in 2023 and proposing initial safety guidelines in 2024. It draws on technical assessments and operational experience associated with HMM Mongla, which was fitted with an OCCS solution in 2024 as part of a joint project involving HMM, SHI, Panasia and KR. Ongoing risk assessments based on the vessel’s OCCS design identified 64 hazard scenarios, helping to inform the development of practical shipboard safety requirements.
The proposed guidelines address how OCCS equipment can be safely integrated with a vessel’s structure, layout and machinery systems. They cover practical safety considerations including CO₂ handling and storage, leakage prevention, emergency response and the safe transfer of captured carbon ashore. These requirements are intended to address not only the capture equipment itself, but also its interaction with other onboard systems and day-to-day vessel operations.
The framework retains a technology-neutral main body covering common safety requirements, alongside separate annexes addressing hazards specific to different OCCS technologies. This approach allows different capture methods, including chemical absorption, membrane separation and mineralisation, to be considered without favouring a particular technology, while enabling requirements to evolve as further evidence becomes available.
Youngsun Kim, SVP, Director of Technology & Innovation Institute, HMM, said: “Shipowners need standards covering safe operation, maintenance and offloading, not capture performance alone. It was important to be able to reflect actual operating conditions from an early stage of international guideline development.”
Ho-ki Lee, SHI VP, said: “At CCC 12, we saw growing consensus around onboard carbon capture as a practical option for decarbonising shipping. Drawing on our experience in shipbuilding and OCCS demonstration, we will contribute to international safety guidelines that enable carbon capture systems to operate safely and efficiently onboard ships.”
Yoon-Sik Hwang, Hanwha Ocean VP, said: “This joint proposal is particularly meaningful because it brings together expertise from shipbuilding, shipping, marine equipment and classification. Hanwha Ocean will continue contributing to the development of international safety guidelines, drawing on its demonstration experience and technical capabilities to accelerate the commercialisation of onboard carbon capture technology.”
Sangmin Park, SVP HD KSOE, said: “The acceptance of the Korean-led proposal on interim OCCS safety guidelines is a meaningful achievement towards the commercialisation of onboard carbon capture technology. Drawing on the experience accumulated through OCCS technology development, HD KSOE will contribute to international safety guidelines to support the safe application of OCCS on ships.”
Jeongsu Seo, Executive Director, HI Air Korea, said: “Safety functions must be capable of being tested and verified in the field. Drawing on our experience in developing and demonstrating mineralisation-based capture technology, we will contribute to practical safety standards for both newbuildings and retrofits by linking that experience to leak detection and emergency shutdown requirements.”
The correspondence group on GHG safety will continue developing the draft guidelines ahead of CCC 13 in 2027, drawing on contributions from member states and international organisations. The Korean partnership will support this work by contributing its members’ design, manufacturing and operating experience to the development of practical shipboard safety requirements. Finalisation and approval of the interim guidelines will be subject to further consideration by IMO.
Image: IMO OCCS working group participants (source: Korean Register)
