South Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) has won a patent case in China concerning HiVAR-FGSS, its core technology for LNG-fueled ship.
In an statement, DSME explains that a Chinese shipbuilding and offshore equipment firm had filed a patent invalidation complaint to the Chinese patent office (SIPO). The company claimed that the registration of this technology should be nullified as it is not progressive and patentable, however, SIPO dismissed the claims, Yonhap News Agency reports.
Daewoo Shipbuilding registered a patent for the “HiVAR-FGSS” technology in China in March 2013. HiVAR-FGSS is a core technology for LNG-fueled ships as it is able to increase fuel efficiency and thus reduce emissions.
According to the final decision, DSME is now considered the first company to have registered a patent for this technology.
Cryostar is reported to have previously filed a patent invalidation complaint with the European Patent Office, which was also rejected.
After four years of development, Daewoo Shipbuilding used the technology in a high pressure gas-injected engine in 2011 that MAN Diesel & Turbo developed.
