[Courtesy of Hanhwa Defense]
Hanwha Defense said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean Register (KR) for technical cooperation to expand the supply of technologies related to eco-friendly ships and the safety of energy storage systems (ESSs) for ships. ESS is a power storage system that consists of batteries or specially designed battery packs
The two sides agreed to cooperate in a wide range of areas with the aim of upgrading related technologies to ensure the safety of ESSs, through joint research on the prevention of ESS fire and fire prediction algorithms, the application of next-generation secondary batteries to ships, the research and application of ESS safety test procedures and technical specifications, and the operation of a technical advisory group to improve the safety of ESSs for vessels and submarines.
"We hope this cooperation with Korean Register will serve as an opportunity to take domestic ESS technology for ships to the next level," Hanwha Defense's domestic business division head Kwak Jong-woo said after a signing ceremony on September 2 at KR's head office in the southern port city of Busan.
Hanwha Defense and KR would share technical data and human resources while establishing a close cooperative relationship by regularly holding related technology exchanges. Demands for eco-friendly ships and ESSs are growing after the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. maritime safety agency, adopted mandatory energy-efficiency measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
"I hope that the combination of Hanwha Defense's superior technology and KR's experience and expertise will serve as a stepping stone to lead international technical standards related to ESS for ships," said Korean Register's R&D center head Kim Dae-hun.
Hanwha Defense has accumulated technology and know-how related to large-capacity marine energy storage devices through the development of a submarine battery pack that demonstrated world-class safety and reliability through a performance verification test in a harsh test environment. The company has developed its own energy storage system for state-run ships.
In June, Hanwha Defense was chosen to lead a three-year state project aimed at developing technology for a marine energy storage system with a high level of safety that would replace imports and target foreign clients. Hanwha Defense and its partners would focus on energy storage systems for 1MWh-class and 200kWh-class ships and carry out evaluation, certification and safety verification tests.
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