HD Hyundai wins US classification society's approval for floating power plant

HD Hyundai has successfully developed technology for a floating power barge — a vessel capable of functioning as a power plant at sea.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai's shipbuilding operations, said Tuesday it had received approval in principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a 100 MW floating barge-mounted power plant (BMPP). The certification covers core technologies including the vessel's basic concept design, single-line electrical diagrams and stability analysis.

A BMPP uses power-generation engines to produce electricity at sea and supply it to data centers, industrial complexes and other facilities where building onshore power infrastructure is difficult or where large-scale electricity demand has emerged.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering's in-house BMPP design is built around its mid-sized HiMSEN engine and can deliver up to 100 MW of power — equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of an AI-specialized data center.

The company plans to complete detailed engineering and subsequent certification procedures before making a full-scale entry into the BMPP market. "Stable and flexible power generation and supply capability is a core competitive advantage in the AI era," a company official said. "We will continue to advance our floating power plant technology and lead the global power infrastructure market."