HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has succeeded in building the world's first ammonia-fueled ship.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said on the 9th that it held a naming ceremony at its Ulsan shipyard for two 46,000-cubic-meter, medium-sized gas carriers equipped with dual-fuel (DF) engines. After final outfitting, the vessels will be delivered in May and at the end of July, respectively.

Joo Won-ho (front row, first from left), president of the Naval and Mid-size Ship Business Unit at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Nicolas Saverys (seventh from left), chairman of Exmar, and Bruno Jans (front row, third from right), ambassador of Belgium to Korea, pose for a commemorative photo at the naming ceremony for a mid-size gas carrier held on the 9th at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan. /Courtesy of HD Hyundai

The two vessels are the first and second of four ammonia-fueled, medium-sized gas carriers ordered from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries by Exmar LPG France, a subsidiary of the Belgian shipping company Exmar, in 2023 and 2024. They were named after Belgian cities, "ANTWERPEN" and "ARLON."

Equipped with three cargo tanks designed and built with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' own technology, the ships can safely transport liquefied gases such as ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). They also enhance environmental performance by installing a shaft generator that produces electricity using the propulsion engine's shaft rotation and a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxides.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it secured top-tier safety by applying proprietary disaster-prevention technologies and systems, including detectors that can check for ammonia leaks in real time and emission recovery devices.

The world's first mid-size gas carrier built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is on sea trials. /Courtesy of HD Hyundai

Ammonia is a clean, carbon-free fuel that can be stored in pressurized tanks or in low-temperature tanks at minus 33 degrees without cryogenic technology. When liquefied, it also has 1.7 times the storage density of liquefied hydrogen, which must be kept at minus 253 degrees for the same volume, earning it a reputation as suitable for large-scale, long-distance transport and storage of hydrogen.

Demand for ammonia-fueled ships is expected to grow significantly. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projected in its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap that ammonia fuel's share in the shipping industry will rise from 8% in 2030 to 46% in 2050.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has so far won orders for eight ammonia-fueled ships from Exmar, Trafigura, and others.

Joo Won-ho, head of the Naval and Medium-Sized Ship Business Unit at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "We are very pleased to have built the world's first ammonia-fueled ship, which requires highly advanced technology," adding, "We will further solidify our leadership in the global eco-friendly ship market through continued technological innovation."

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