IMO CCC adopts interim safety guidelines for shipboard carbon capture devices submitted by Korea as international standard basic document

Busan = Yonhap News Reporter Youngjae Lee = The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 27th that the 'Interim Safety Guidelines for Onboard Carbon Capture Systems (OCCS)' submitted by Korea at the 12th International Maritime Organization (IMO) Cargo and Container Transport Expert Committee (CCC) held recently in London, England was adopted as a basic document for the development of international standards.

CCC, an IMO expert committee, is an organization that discusses technical matters related to cargo and container transportation and the use of gas and alternative fuels.

Interim safety guidelines refer to non-mandatory guidelines prepared by IMO to provide temporary safety standards necessary for ship design, construction, and operation before international agreements are established.

At this meeting, IMO member countries agreed to prepare global safety guidelines based on Korea's proposal, and decided to form a working group with Korea as the secretariat as a follow-up work to complete the guidelines.

OCCS, which captures and stores carbon dioxide contained in ship exhaust gas, is an eco-friendly technology for the shipbuilding and shipping industries, and research and verification for field application are in progress.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries explains that Korea's safety guidelines are structured in a 'dualized format', with common safety standards in the main text and safety standards for each carbon capture technology in separate appendices, and have received support from major member countries and organizations, including Liberia, Australia, and Brazil.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to pursue final approval of the OCCS interim safety guidelines through the public-private consultative body that has been in operation since last April.

We decided to secure technical basis, including design and operation data and risk assessment, with the goal of receiving final approval in 2029.

Jeong Do-hyeon, head of the Maritime Safety Bureau of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, “This achievement is significant in that Korea has now led the safety standards for international shipping core decarbonization technologies.”