HD Hyundai and Hanwha Group Showcase Next-Generation Shipbuilding Technologies at Gastech

A three-tank LNG (liquefied natural gas) carrier and a data center floating at sea are among the new technologies that HD Hyundai and Hanwha Group are showcasing to address the surge in power demand in the AI (artificial intelligence) era. The technologies will be unveiled at Gastech, the world's largest gas exhibition. Next-generation technologies will be presented at Gastech 2026, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from the 14th to the 17th.

According to industry sources on the 13th, Hanwha Ocean will unveil a physical model of a 60 MW-class Floating Data Center (FDC) for the first time. Floating at sea, the data center can generate its own power and use seawater for cooling, making it far more efficient than land-based facilities. On land, securing sites and power, cooling efficiency, and complaints from local residents remain obstacles. The technology is expected to help reliably accelerate the transition to the AI era.

The FDC proposed by Hanwha Ocean features a modular design. Its power-generation method, power-supply structure, and server types and capacities can be configured flexibly according to local conditions and customer requirements. Hanwha Ocean also announced plans to strengthen its competitiveness by combining the FDC with capabilities in designing and building large floating structures, power generation and energy, operations and maintenance (O&M), and security. Hanwha Ocean's FDC conceptual design has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

HD Hyundai will exhibit models of eco-friendly vessels, including next-generation LNG carriers, Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs), and LCO2 (liquefied carbon dioxide) carriers.

For LNG carriers, HD Hyundai will highlight the value of its three-tank technology at a seminar hosted by Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), a French LNG cargo-containment technology company. The technology enables the construction of a 177,000-cubic-meter-class carrier by increasing capacity by 3,000 cubic meters from the conventional configuration of four cargo tanks totaling 174,000 cubic meters, while reducing boil-off losses.

The vessel was ordered by Norwegian shipping company BW LNG and is scheduled for delivery from the second half of 2028 through 2029, in cooperation with GTT and Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

[email protected] Yoon-ho Kim Reporter