Busan launches strategy to electrify large vessels

The Busan city government announced Wednesday that it held a kickoff meeting June 22 at Shilla Stay West Busan with the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering to launch a mid- to long-term roadmap for developing core electrification technologies and building a demonstration framework for large vessels.

About 70 people attended the meeting, including officials from the city and the research institute, representatives of the three major domestic shipbuilders, mid-sized shipyards, companies supplying electric propulsion components and equipment, and academics and researchers. Participants shared the current state of large vessel electrification technology and the broader industry ecosystem, and discussed priorities in areas including domestic production of core components, systems integration, construction of land-based demonstration infrastructure, and the establishment of standards and certification frameworks.

As international maritime greenhouse gas regulations tighten, ship propulsion systems are shifting away from conventional internal combustion engines toward zero-carbon, electrification-based alternatives such as batteries and fuel cells. Large vessels pose a particular challenge: their high propulsion power demands and long operating hours mean that simply expanding battery capacity is not enough. A systems-level approach is needed — one that integrates megawatt-class power conversion, high-voltage power distribution, large-capacity energy storage, high-output propulsion motors, and intelligent energy management and safety protection technologies.

In response, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy unveiled its "K-Shipbuilding Future Vision" in May, announcing plans to pursue the "7 Star-Ship Project" with up to 525 billion won ($342 million) over the next five years and to invest in research and development aimed at achieving technological self-reliance in electric propulsion for large ships. The current planning study aims to develop an action strategy for securing core electrification technologies and supply chains for large vessels ahead of the curve, in alignment with that government policy.

The Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering plans to develop a technology roadmap centered on six strategic areas: power conversion systems, high-voltage power distribution systems, propulsion motors, next-generation maritime batteries, integrated control systems, and infrastructure development. Alongside this, the institute intends to strengthen large shipbuilders' capacity to develop electrified vessels and to build a supply chain that brings in small and mid-sized shipyards and component manufacturers, with the goal of securing global market competitiveness.

"We will do our best to build an eco-friendly shipbuilding industry ecosystem where large shipbuilders and local small and mid-sized equipment companies can grow together, by developing a mid- to long-term strategy aligned with the government's K-Shipbuilding Future Vision," a city official said.