Classification society ABS said it has awarded South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering approval in principle for the basic design of a 22,000-cbm ammonia bunker vessel.
The approval covers a multi-purpose vessel designed to supply ammonia as marine fuel and was announced at Gastech 2026 in Bangkok.
ABS reviewed the vessel’s general arrangement, machinery arrangement, ammonia cargo handling system and fuel supply system against applicable classification and international requirements.
The design was developed under a joint development project launched by ABS and the two HD Hyundai companies earlier in 2026.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries chief technical officer Ryu Hong-Ryeul described the approval as a “significant milestone toward the commercialization of ammonia bunkering vessels” and said demand was expected to grow alongside the adoption of ammonia-fuelled ships.
ABS senior vice president for Global Engineering Gareth Burton said bunkering infrastructure was a critical requirement for any marine fuel to scale, with safety needing to be incorporated from the design stage.
The project extends earlier work between ABS and HD Hyundai on ammonia-fuel technology. This has included approval in principle for an HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering ammonia cargo handling and bunkering system and an ABS review of an HD Hyundai Heavy Industries engine-room machinery arrangement.
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering is the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding and offshore engineering businesses. It held a 69.23% stake in HD Hyundai Heavy Industries as of 1 January 2026.