South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), a subsidiary of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), has obtained approval in principle (AiP) from classification society DNV for its innovative 60,000 cbm LPG/NH3/VCM carrier design.
As disclosed, the design addresses the growing demand for medium gas carriers (MGC) and aligns with the industry trend toward larger ships. It also anticipates stricter environmental regulations and an expected rise in LPG and ammonia transport volumes.
Furthermore, the vessel maintains the operational characteristics of existing MGCs while incorporating a double hull structure for enhanced collision stability. Additionally, the innovative trunk deck design increases cargo volume, thereby boosting carrying capacity.
DNV awarded the AiP, which confirms that the design is feasible, and no significant obstacles exist to prevent the concept from being realized, at this year’s Gastech.
With specifications similar to those of MGCs but with large gas carrier (LGC) cargo capacity, this ship type can access ports designed for MGCs, thereby improving operational efficiency, according to HMD. The carrier also could achieve “superior fuel efficiency” through optimized hull design compared to existing LGCs, offering substantial CAPEX and OPEX advantages, it was highlighted.
“This vessel design represents a new concept in ship design aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and meeting the evolving demands of the gas carrier market. In addition to our present 40K and 45K class MGCs, we can expand our portfolio by introducing new 60K class MGC and we ensure that it will enhance our position in the market, as a leader in the MGC sector,” Dong-Jin Lee , Head of Initial Design Division at HMD remarked.
Vidar Dolonen , the DNV Regional Manager for Korea and Japan, expressed his pleasure in collaborating with HMD on the development of an advanced gas carrier design. He noted that HMD’s commitment to pioneering new technologies, combined with DNV’s expertise in enhancing safety and compliance, has led to a design that addresses current and future challenges.
Dolonen emphasized that the relationship between DNV and HMD is founded on a mutual vision of trusted, sustainable, and efficient maritime transportation.
In a separate statement, DNV awarded AiP to HD Hyundai group for its cloud-based integrated Hyundai Intelligent Digital Twin Ship (HiDTS) system. Since 2022, DNV and HD KSOE have been collaborating on data-driven verification (DDV) of digital twin technologies.
This three-year project has now been completed, with the award of the AiP in accordance with the DNV class notation DDV, with the digital twin qualifier.
The partners highlighted that the award marks another significant milestone in the application of DDV to the integrated HiDTS systems, based on the DNV Simulation Trust Center (STC) cloud environment in Trondheim, Norway. Moreover, it is another step towards realizing the potential of digital twin technologies in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of maritime operations.