HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Successfully Builds the World’s Largest Ammonia-Powered Vessel

[Financial News] HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has successfully completed construction of the world’s largest ammonia-powered vessel. After delivering the world’s first medium-sized ammonia-powered gas carrier last April, the company has now completed an ultra-large vessel as well, accelerating the commercialization of ammonia-powered ships.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it held a naming ceremony on the 22nd at its Ulsan Shipyard for a 93,000-cubic-meter-class ultra-large ammonia-powered gas carrier.
The vessel is the first of two ammonia-powered ships HD Hyundai Heavy Industries secured an order for from Singapore-based shipping company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) in 2023. It was named Terra Clove, combining “Terra,” Latin for “earth,” and “Clove,” meaning “flower bud.” After final work is completed, the vessel is scheduled to be delivered to its owner in early November.
The Terra Clove was built to a length of 230 meters, a width of 36.5 meters and a height of 23.6 meters. Equipped with four cargo tanks designed and built using HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ proprietary technology, it can carry up to 93,000 cubic meters of ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). A key feature is its dual-fuel propulsion system, which can use either conventional marine fuel or ammonia. Because ammonia emits no carbon dioxide directly during combustion, it is attracting attention as a next-generation zero-carbon fuel for the shipping industry.
The vessel is equipped with a shaft generator that produces electricity using the propulsion engine’s rotating shaft, improving energy efficiency. It also has equipment to reduce nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, strengthening its ability to meet environmental regulations. Safety technologies have been incorporated to address ammonia’s high toxicity. Leak-detection equipment that monitors for ammonia leaks in real time inside the vessel, along with systems to reduce ammonia emissions, enhances safety during operation.
The construction is also significant because HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has expanded the application of its ammonia-propulsion technology from medium-sized to ultra-large vessels. In April, the company built and delivered the world’s first 46,000-cubic-meter-class medium-sized ammonia-powered gas carrier. With the construction of this 93,000-cubic-meter-class vessel, it has established a track record of applying ammonia propulsion systems to vessels of different sizes.
About 110 people attended the naming ceremony, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Vice Chairman Lee Sang-gyun, EPS CEO Sirel Duko, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Chairman Lo Kum Yan, and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) President John MacDonald.
Lee said, “It is an honor to have built next-generation eco-friendly vessels with EPS over the past 30-plus years.” He added, “The construction of the world’s largest ammonia-powered vessel is an important step forward in the decarbonization of shipping.”
[email protected] Jung Won-il Reporter