Press release
09 JUN 2026
KNCC, SeAH Steel and JFE Shoji Enter MOU to Conduct Full‑Scale CTC Trial Production
- Accelerating LCO2-EP Technology Readiness -
Haugesund, Norway – Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers AS (“KNCC”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SeAH Steel Corporation of South Korea (“SeAH”) and JFE Shoji Corporation of Japan (“JFE Shoji”), marking a significant milestone in the industrialization of LCO₂- Elevated Pressure (EP) transportation technology.
From Left: Kiyoshi Inoue General Manager JFE Shoji, Oliver Hagen-Smith CEO KNCC, Jaehong Kim Director SeAH
This MOU represents a further step following the feasibility study announced on 3rd Dec 2024 (press release), which identified the production facilities and capacity for Cargo Tank Cylinders (CTCs*). Building on those results, the Parties now aim to proceed towards a trial production of full‑scale CTCs to demonstrate manufacturing readiness, validate EP technology at industrial scale, and prepare for future social implementation in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) value chains.
Advancing from Feasibility to Industrial Demonstration
Under the MOU, JFE Shoji will supply the necessary steel plates and end caps while SeAH will manufacture the pipe section and assemble the parts to produce full‑scale CTCs, based on KNCC’s technical specifications. The prototypes will serve as a key technical and quality benchmark, enabling the Parties to jointly verify production processes including class approval, performance, and manufacturability. This trial production phase is a critical step to bridge the gap between concept validation and commercial deployment of LCO₂-EP transportation solutions. Beyond the full‑scale trial production, the MOU also defines cooperation toward establishing a scalable and fully automated CTC supply chain to support mass production for commercial projects.
Image of full scale CTC / Project Members
About KNCC and its’ LCO2-EP Technology:
Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers AS (“KNCC”) is a joint venture between Knutsen Group of Norway and NYK Line of Japan, established as the dedicated platform for the development and execution of liquefied CO₂ (LCO₂) marine transportation solutions on behalf of both shareholders. In addition to offering medium‑pressure and low‑pressure transport concepts, KNCC owns proprietary technology for handling LCO₂ at ambient temperature and elevated pressure (“LCO₂‑EP”). By reducing energy requirements for both CO₂ cooling and liquefaction, as well as for heating and pressurization prior to reservoir injection, the LCO₂‑EP solution is expected to lower both carbon footprint and total costs across the CCS value chain. Website: www.kn-cc.com
*CTC: Cargo Tank Cylinders are the primary components of the LCO2-EP Cargo Tank system suitable for use both onboard vessels and in onshore temporary storage as part of an LCO2-EP system. The CTCs feature a fully modular design enabling efficient automated serial production. This approach supports cost reduction in large scale commercial projects by leveraging existing manufacturing facilities.
