HD Hyundai said on the 13th it will showcase next-generation liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and eco-friendly ship technologies at Gastech 2026, the world's largest gas exhibition, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 14th to the 17th.
Five affiliates—HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, HD Hyndai Marine Solution, and HD Hyundai Electric—will participate in the exhibition. The joint booth will display models of next-generation LNG carriers, floating storage and regasification units (FSRU), and liquefied carbon dioxide carriers.
The 37th Gastech is expected to draw participation from more than 1,000 corporations worldwide and over 50,000 visitors. HD Hyundai Chair Chung Ki-sun and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering President Kim Hyung-kwan, as well as key executives and staff from sales, research and development, and engineering institutional sector, will attend.
During the exhibition, HD Hyundai plans to hold a total of 30 official events, including technology certifications by global classification societies and memorandums of understanding (MOU) with major corporations.
First, through Lloyd's Register (LR) drawing assessments, the company will receive confirmation of design suitability for a future LNG carrier that applies a forward-located accommodation block and wind-assisted propulsion devices. This vessel is designed to place crew accommodations at the bow to secure main deck space and allow multiple wind-assisted propulsion devices to be installed. HD Hyundai received approval in principle for this hull form at Gastech last year.
It will also unveil a design technology that can replace the minimum pressure requirements for the "type-C tank," mainly used in medium-sized liquefied gas carriers. It is also set to obtain approvals in principle from LR and other classification societies for a 35,000-cubic-meter liquefied carbon dioxide carrier and a 185,000-cubic-meter hybrid electric propulsion system.
An artificial intelligence (AI) solution that optimizes engine operations on LNG carriers will receive both an approval in principle and a product design assessment (PDA). HD Hyundai will also sign an MOU with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Siemens to jointly develop Digital Twin technology that assesses the safety of ammonia-fueled vessels and to pursue new-technology certification.
HD Hyundai will also attend the "three-tank LNG carrier" seminar hosted by French LNG cargo containment technology company GTT. In collaboration with GTT and DNV, it is building BW LNG's 177,000-cubic-meter LNG carriers that reduce the existing four cargo tanks to three. The vessels are scheduled for sequential delivery from the second half of 2028 through 2029.
An HD Hyundai official said, "HD Hyundai has ship technologies that can flexibly respond to environmental regulations while maximizing operational efficiency," adding, "we will continue to lead the carbon-neutral vessel market based on relentless investment and research and development."