Korean Register okays HMM’s methanol dual-fuel retrofit boxship design

Certification & Classification

December 26, 2023, by Fatima Bahtić

Classification society Korean Register (KR) has awarded approval in principle (AiP) for the methanol dual-fuel retrofit design of HMM’s 16,000 TEU containership.

As informed, the ceremony for the AiP was held on December 22. The retrofit design of the 16,000 TEU containership which will be powered by methanol was developed in collaboration with HD Hyundai Marine Solution and HD Hyundai E&T.

Furthermore, South Korean shipbuilding heavyweight HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) also worked on the design with the partners.

“KR is committed to the goals of digitalization and decarbonization, and we will continue collaborating closely with our partners to achieve world-class competitiveness,” the classification society commented in a social media post.

Currently, the global maritime industry is grappling with the development of various countermeasures to meet strengthening greenhouse gas regulations, and market interest in eco-friendly fueled ships has increased.

In September this year, Korean Register awarded AiP for an LNG dual-fuel very large gas carrier (VLGC) jointly developed by KR and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), a subsidiary of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.

HD HHI executed the ship’s basic design, established the layout of fuel supply pipes and the gas detection system, and designed the LNG fuel tank using their technical expertise.

Meanwhile, KR verified the safety, suitability and regulatory compliance of the design by reviewing national and international regulations, leading to the issuance of the AiP for the LNG dual-fuel VLGC.

Meanwhile, as part of its decarbonization efforts, South Korean shipping company HMM recently nked a landmark contract with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for the construction of up to ten 10,800 CEU LNG dual fuel car carriers.