HMM has announced plans to conduct field tests of an onboard carbon capture system (OCCS) for containerships with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and PANASIA.

OCCS is designed to capture CO₂ from greenhouse gas emissions generated during vessel operation, preventing it from being emitted into the atmosphere.

HMM will fit OCCS in its containership for an operational test with SHI and PANASIA later this year.

The company will take charge of the operation of OCCS, while the other organisations will provide engineering support.

This comes after the feasibility study HMM performed with PANASIA on OCCS for its multi-purpose vessel (MPV) following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both companies last September.

The study revealed that OCCS could be installed without changing the existing equipment of the ship and does not hinder the stability of vessel operation.

The collected carbon becomes liquefied in a pressurised tank and can be used for manufacturing dry ice or smart farm on land.

In addition, HMM decided to replace the propellers of six containerships with more efficient ones specially designed for slow steaming.

The replacement process will start in 2024, and HMM expects to increase energy efficiency by 8-9 per cent.

“We will continue its efforts on a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050 based on collaborative work with various industrial players,” said an HMM official.

This announcement comes a week after the company announced that they have cut carbon emissions by more than half since 2010.