DNV greenlights Samsung Heavy Industries’ 80,000 cbm liquefied hydrogen carrier design

September 11, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

Norway-based classification society DNV has awarded approval in principle (AiP) to South Korea’s shipbuilding giant Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its 80,000 cbm liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carrier design.

As informed, SHI’s LH2 carrier features a vacuum-insulated Type C tank system integrated with a reinforced hull and supporting structure. The design reportedly incorporates advanced materials and engineering solutions to enhance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the vessel under extreme cryogenic conditions.

Some of the new design features are said to include the spherical tank shape, optimized to reduce size and weight, and the supports between the inner and outer tanks, which are made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) to prevent heat influx and minimize cargo losses due to boil-off gas (BOG) during the transport of cryogenic cargo.

CS Bang, Vice President of SHI, stated: “Receiving DNV’s AiP is a testament to our engineering capabilities and vision for hydrogen transport. We believe this vessel will play a vital role in building a global hydrogen supply chain.”

Vidar Dolonen, DNV’s Regional Manager for Korea & Japan, commented: “Building confidence in new technologies and new energy solutions, begins with building trust. By working closely together with innovative and future focused partners like SHI, utilizing our expertise and leading rule set, we can lay the groundwork for the next generation vessels that will be needed for the energy transition. We are proud to present them with this AiP and support the development of technologies that help to enable the transport of clean energy.”

In other recent news, DNV renewed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), continuing their collaboration in maritime education, applied research, and innovation. Furthermore, DNV Inspection secured three-year contracts to provide quality assurance for two of the UK’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.

The classification society also completed a technical review of U.S.-based electrolyzer manufacturer Electric Hydrogen’s turnkey electrolyzer solution, HYPRPlant, confirming its compliance with current industry standards for process design, safety, and manufacturing practices.