HD Hyundai Heavy Industries builds world's largest ammonia-powered vessel

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has successfully built the world's largest ammonia-powered vessel.

The company held a naming ceremony Thursday at its Ulsan shipyard for the 93,000-cubic-meter very large ammonia carrier.

The event drew about 110 attendees, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Vice Chairman Lee Sang-kyun, EPS CEO Cyril Ducau, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Chairman Loh Kwum Yen, Singapore Maritime Foundation Executive Director Tan Beng Tee and ABS Chairman John McDonald.

The vessel — the first of a two-ship series HD Hyundai Heavy Industries contracted with Singapore's EPS in 2023 — was christened the Terra Clove. The name combines the Latin word "terra," meaning earth, with "clove," meaning bud.

Equipped with an ammonia dual-fuel propulsion system, the ship is designed to run on either conventional marine fuel or ammonia. It is set to be delivered in early November after final outfitting work.

Measuring 230 meters in length, 36.5 meters in breadth and 23.6 meters in depth, the vessel carries four cargo tanks designed and built in-house by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, enabling stable transport of 93,000 cubic meters of ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas.

The ship also features a shaft generator that produces electricity from the propulsion engine's rotating shaft, along with nitrogen oxide and SOx reduction systems to further strengthen its environmental credentials. Safety technologies include a real-time ammonia leak detection system and an ammonia emissions reduction system.

"It is an honor to have worked with EPS over the past 30-plus years to build next-generation eco-friendly vessels," Vice Chairman Lee said at the ceremony. "The construction of this world's largest ammonia-powered ship is an important step forward in the decarbonization of shipping."