HD Hyundai has successfully developed a low-carbon electric propulsion system for large ships. HD Hyundai announced that its shipbuilder affiliates HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have been awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) for their Phase II low-carbon electric propulsion system for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) that are based on high voltage power systems (Medium Voltage Direct Current, MVDC) and large-scale fuel cells (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, SOFC) from Lloyd's Register (LR) in the UK.
 

HD KSOE and HD HHI have previously obtained the certification on the conceptual design of the system in February 2023, and have since continued to work with LR to obtain the AiP, which includes demonstrations of the system's practical efficiency and propulsion drives.
 

The AiP has been granted to a 30 MWh electric propulsion system that is applied to a 300,000 ton (t) ultra-large crude oil carriers. In particular, it is characterized by the use of an ammonia dual-fuel medium-sized engine and a high-efficiency large-capacity fuel cell to achieve the same propulsion efficiency as a large engine while achieving carbon-free operations. In addition, the energy integration efficiency has been improved by 20% compared to existing solutions, while electric power quality has been improved by 40%. The overall weight of the system was reduced by 20%.
 

HD Hyundai emphasized that it has achieved complete localization by independently developing core materials, equipment, and technology to obtain this certification. The company plans to complete the onshore demonstration of the new low-carbon electric propulsion system for VVLCs by 2027 and commercialize it by 2028.​