High manganese austenitic steel, anticipated to be included in international standardization of LNG ships

- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) of the Republic of Korea, nine institutions and industry jointly responded to an IMO Sub-Committee –
 

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister MOON, Seong-Hyeok) announced that the “Amendments to the IGC and IGF Codes to Include high manganese austenitic steel and Guidelines for the acceptance of alternative metallic materials for cryogenic service” stipulates the use of high manganese austenitic steel** researched and developed by Posco Co.,Ltd. (POSCO) for ships carrying liquefied natural gas at the seventh session of the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) of the IMO* (held from September 6 through 10, 2021).

* IMO (the International Maritime Organization): a United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships, creating a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is universally adopted and universally implemented.

** High manganese austenitic steel: a type of steel that is capable of withstanding extremely low temperatures  (-165℃) without breaking, has outstanding physical qualities (e.g. tensile strength), and is used to manufacture cargo tanks used by eco-friendly ships to transport liquefied gas.

Cargo tanks and pipes for cryogenic service below -165℃ are regulated to be made with four materials solely*, including 9% nickel steel. However, high manganese austenitic steel, a metallic material invented by a Korean company, set a cornerstone to be included in the list at the Sub-Committee.

* 9% Ni steel, austenitic stainless steel, aluminium alloy, and austenitic Fe-Ni alloy steel

High manganese austenitic steel is acknowledged for its high competitiveness in both price and performance. It is expected to be welcomed as a material for tanks and pipes for ships that transport eco-friendly cargo and use eco-friendly fuel at a time when the international paradigm is shifting toward the use of eco-friendly and low-carbon fuels.

In case the aforementioned amendment to the IGC Code* is approved (at the 105th session in April 2022) and adopted (at the 106th session in December 2022) at the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the Organization, it is anticipated to enter into force in January 2028.

* IGC Code: International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk, IGF Code: International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels

In December 2018, the MOF proposed the Interim guidelines on the application of high manganese austenitic steel for cryogenic service, enabling countries, if they desire, to use high manganese austenitic steel even before the amended IGC Code is put into effect.

* Guidelines on the application of high manganese austenitic steel for cryogenic service (Dec. 2018)

Furthermore, the MOF is going to attend the seventy-first session of the Technical Cooperation Committee of the IMO from September 20 through 24, 2021. At the Committee, the MOF will actively promote its role and efforts to enhance international maritime safety, with introducing the onboard training program to foster ship officers from developing countries and drawing the attention of the member states of the IMO to participation in and cooperation on the program.

《Outline of the IMO Onboard Training Program》

“It is expected that high manganese austenitic steel developed by a domestic company would accelerate the international transition of eco-friendly fuels,” Director General Myung Roh-hun of the MOF’s Maritime Affairs & Safety Policy Bureau said. “With the title change and expansion from 'Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' to the ‘Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Permanent Mission to the International Maritime Organization,’ the Republic of Korea will take the lead in international standardization of Korean-made novel technologies through the IMO and strengthen international cooperation.”

□ The History of IMO Establishment

ㅇ The Adoption(1914.1) of SOLAS Convention after the Titanic disaster of 1912
ㅇ Establishment of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization(’59. 1. 6)
ㅇ Changed the name of the organization to IMO from IMCO(’82. 5. 22)

□ Member State of IMO

ㅇ 174 Member States and 3 Associate Members(Hong Kong, Macau, Faeroe Island)
ㅇ Joining IMO Member State of the Republic of Korea : ’62. 4. 10 (Joining IMO Member State of Democratic People`s Republic of Korea (DPRK) : ’86. 4. 16)

□ Structure of IMO
                                       
* The MSC and MEPC are assisted in their work by seven IMO Sub-Committees

□ Function of IMO

ㅇ Development of international Conventions related to maritime safety and marine environment protection