In the previous episode of this series, we visited SK Innovation Ulsan Complex, where the fuel for power boilers was changed from Bunker-C to eco-friendly LNG. This time, let’s find out more about the Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) business on which SK Innovation and SK Energy are working.

Since climate action has been brought to the fore as a global challenge, many countries are in the vanguard of reducing CO₂, one of the culprits of global warming. In this regard, SK Innovation and SK Energy are engaging in a CCS business as they preemptively apply CCS technology to the processes. Hong Jeong-eui, Head of the Green Biz Development Office of SK Energy will give us more details regarding this business.

▲ Hong Jeong-eui, Head of the Green Biz Development Office of SK Energy

ㅣ What is CCS Technology?

CCS is short for Carbon Capture & Storage. It is easier to grasp if we take it literally: capture the carbon and then store it! Carbon dioxide is one of the main culprits of global warming, isn’t it? A technology to collect carbon dioxide or carbon not just found in the air but also generated during the industrial processes to bury underground, that’s what we call CCS. It can be viewed as one of the key green transformation strategies pursued by SK Innovation and its affiliates as it eliminates CO₂ from the stage of generation to ameliorate the earth environment.

ㅣ What CCS projects does SK Innovation partake in?

▲ East Sea Gas Field of the Korea National Oil Corporation

We have East Gas Field where natural gas production will come to an end in June next year. A national project is to be in effect to capture and store CO₂ from this gas field. The goal is to collect and store 400,000 tons of CO₂ per year from 2025. SK Innovation and SK Energy are in charge of developing point source and capture related technology models.

ㅣ What are the expected effects of the CCS business?

▲ The full view of the SK Innovation’s plants in Ulsan Complex

SK Innovation and SK Energy will first be engaged in developing the optimum CO₂ point sources and economic capture technology, or in other words, the ‘optimal CC (Carbon Capture)’ technology-related model for the industrial facilities in Ulsan region. We will first apply the optimal CC technology to hydrogen plants in SK Innovation’s Ulsan Complex (Ulsan CLX) to capture CO₂ generated in the processes. It will then be gradually applied to more processes that produce a lot of CO₂ in the Ulsan CLS. I believe that our company’s full commitment to CCS business will bring about some positive influence not just over our company but also over mankind and the planet.

ㅣ Lastly, what are the future plans?

The presence of CCS technology is a precondition to reducing CO₂ generation, which is often closely associated with the industries that heavily consume energy. We will keep on striving to preemptively secure the optimum CCS technology while expanding our CCS business. We will also make sure to empower green transformation being implemented by SK Innovation affiliates.

Click the video below with English subtitle to learn more about the story: