Hanwha Power Systems, Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Systems have reached an agreement with South Korean container and shipping company HMM and classification society Korean Register (KR) to co-develop and test carbon-free propulsion systems for ships.
The partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to mark their collaboration.
Through this agreement, these organisations will pool their expertise from the maritime, shipbuilding, and technology industries to advance the testing and potential market introduction of carbon-free solutions for vessels.
Hanwha Power Systems maritime solutions business division head Hyoung-seog Kim said: “The integrated propulsion system that combines fuel cells and ammonia gas turbines will set a new standard for maritime decarbonisation.
“We will continue to expand collaboration with shipowners, shipyards, and classification societies to apply our technology to actual vessels as soon as possible and advance toward commercial operations.”
The next-generation propulsion systems include a combined ammonia gas turbine and fuel cell system intended for container ships in the 7,000–8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) range, as well as a hybrid system using fuel cells and batteries for 2,000 TEU feeder vessels.
The partners will also analyse whether these technologies are commercially viable and create new vessel designs suitable for these systems.
Hanwha Group will oversee the development of the integrated propulsion systems and HMM will contribute by offering operational data to help validate system performance.
Korean Register will handle initial risk and safety evaluations, offer advice on Approval in Principle (AiP), examine compliance with regulations and certification, and perform economic assessments.
This joint effort follows Hanwha Power Systems receiving AiP from the American Bureau of Shipping to retrofit 174K LNG carriers with ammonia gas turbine propulsion.
HMM maritime office head Min-kang Kim said: “Through demonstration and commercialisation, we will accelerate the transition to a future eco-friendly fleet.”
The project is intended to help grow the availability of zero-carbon ship propulsion in line with the International Maritime Organization’s target for carbon neutrality by 2050.
Following trials and evaluations, Hanwha Group, HMM, and Korean Register intend to continue working together to further develop zero-carbon propulsion technologies and help improve the international position of shipping and shipbuilding businesses.
“This project is an exemplary cooperation model in which the shipping, shipbuilding, and classification sectors establish safety and regulatory standards together from the early research stage,” said KR senior vice president Kyu-jin Yeon. “It will contribute to establishing an international eco-friendly certification system.”
