HHI Group & DNV GL present green tankers of the future

DNV GL, the world’s leading classification society, and HHI Group, the world’s largest shipyard, have teamed up to embark on the development of future-proof tanker designs. In a recent “Green Tankers towards 2050” industry webinar, attended by more than 250 participants from shipping companies around the world, DNV GL and HHI Group presented the results of new joint research and explained how eco-friendly maritime solutions can help shipowners and managers to cope with stricter environmental regulations now and in the future.

The joint research was initiated by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at Gastech trade fair in Houston in 2019, when DNV GL and HHI agreed to develop low and zero carbon solutions for shipping. The results of the MoU were presented by lead researchers from HHI Group companies Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) in a virtual format, co-hosted by DNV GL from their headquarters in Høvik, Norway.

During the webinar, DNV GL and HHI Group experts explained the recent development of regulations covering the greenhouse gas emissions from vessels, including the introduction of the design index for existing vessels (EEXI) and a new Carbon Intensity Indicator, which are due to enter into force in 2023. To respond to these regulations, HHI Group introduced their range of eco-friendly ships that are equipped with alternative fuel technologies and energy-reducing systems, among them 40 LNG dual-fuelled ships already delivered or under construction.

By applying DNV GL’s data-based carbon robust model to its very large crude carrier (VLCC) and Medium Range (MR) tanker ships, HHI Group found that an LNG fuel propulsion system in combination with advanced energy saving devices (ESDs) can enable a vessel to meet the new Carbon Intensity Indicator over its expected lifetime, said a release.