HD Korea Shipbuilding localizes high-pressure LNG fuel pump with domestic partners

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering has successfully localized a key component for liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels in collaboration with domestic small and medium-sized enterprises.

The company said Sunday it recently held a final performance verification and type-approval certificate presentation ceremony in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, for a high-pressure pump used in LNG fuel supply systems. The pump was independently developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, with domestic small and medium-sized enterprises Pritech and Seongmun participating in the manufacturing and packaging process.

The ceremony was attended by Nam Young-jun, head of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering's SD business division; Kim Jeong-sik, representative of the Liberian Registry; Kim Seong-yong, executive vice president of Bureau Veritas; Park Hae-heum, chief executive of Pritech; and Lee Jae-hong, chief executive of Seongmun. The certification officially confirms the product's performance and safety. Supply contracts for more than 70 vessels have already been secured with shipyards at home and abroad.

Foreign companies have long dominated the high-pressure pump market, leaving domestic buyers exposed to limitations in maintenance and supply chain reliability. Bureau Veritas and the Liberian Registry joined the effort from the earliest stages of development, not just HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering alone. Working with the Liberian Registry from the outset, the team conducted tests and reviews that accounted for real-world vessel operating conditions, enhancing reliability, while Bureau Veritas's rigorous verification process raised the product's overall quality.

"This certification ceremony is a meaningful occasion that confirms the global competitiveness of the high-pressure pump independently developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, together with classification societies, flag states and outstanding domestic partners," Nam said. "Building on its proven reliability, we will successfully apply it to actual vessels and raise customer service satisfaction to the next level."