A South Korean public–private partnership of ten maritime organisations has scored a policy breakthrough after its joint proposal was chosen as the base document for developing international safety guidance for onboard carbon capture and storage systems. Sources indicated the development on 12 November 2026.
The selection marks a major milestone in efforts to regulate the installation and operation of onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) systems on commercial ships. The partnership’s proposal will now serve as the foundation for further work at the International Maritime organisation.
The partnership described itself as a leading Korean public–private collaboration, and its submission reflects months of joint technical and policy work by its members. The move to adopt the proposal as a base document recognises the group’s collective input into an emerging area of maritime safety policy.
What has been agreed so far
At this stage the IMO has accepted the Korean partnership’s document as the basis for ongoing development, signalling intent to incorporate its material into the international rulemaking process. The selection does not equate to finalised regulations but sets the pathway for committees at the IMO to examine, amend and expand the text.
The document addresses safety considerations for OCCS systems, which capture carbon dioxide from ship exhaust and store it temporarily onboard. By providing a shared starting point, the partnership’s proposal aims to streamline technical discussions and focus expert attention on the safety measures that will be required if these systems become widespread.
Why this matters to shipowners and regulators
Maritime regulators and shipowners face a growing imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and OCCS is one of several technical options under consideration. Having a common reference document at IMO level helps align national administrations, classification societies and industry stakeholders on technical standards and risk management approaches.
Adoption of a single base document can also accelerate the timetable for developing harmonised rules, since delegates and technical panels will work from the same draft rather than reconciling multiple competing proposals. The Korean partnership’s selection therefore represents a practical step towards co-ordinated international action on OCCS safety.
Next steps will follow IMO’s usual procedures for drafting mandatory or recommendatory instruments, including review by relevant sub‑committees and opportunities for member states and observer organisations to submit amendments. The work will involve technical scrutiny of system designs, storage arrangements onboard and operational controls, as well as the interaction of OCCS with existing safety regimes.
Industry observers will be watching how quickly the IMO process moves from a base document to formal guidance or requirements, since certainty on safety standards influences investment decisions for ship owners, equipment suppliers and ports. The Korean partnership’s success in having its proposal accepted by the IMO establishes it as a prominent contributor to those discussions.
The reports account of 12 November 2026 set out the selection and the partnership’s role in preparing the proposal. The choice of a single base document for further work at IMO level is likely to shape the technical debate and the regulatory trajectory for OCCS over the coming months.
A clear, internationally agreed approach to OCCS safety will be essential should the technology scale beyond pilot projects and into routine commercial use. The Korean partnership’s document is now positioned to influence how the maritime sector organises that approach at the global regulatory level.