Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. (KSOE) - Experts & Thought Leaders

A landmark partnership to develop the safety guidelines for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering has been established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between KR (Korean Register), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), KSS Line, and the Liberian Registry. Robust safety standards As the demand for ammonia-fuelled vessels rises, this partnership aims to establish robust safety standards for STS ammonia bunkering, an efficient method for supplying fuel to ammonia-fueled vessels. The safe bunkering of alternative fuels, like ammonia, requires rigorous risk assessment and the establishment of controlled zones. Ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering While standards for LNG and methanol bunkering have already been defined through various international industry standards, ammonia currently lacks relevant guidelines, highlighting the urgent need for the partnership’s research. To address this industry need, the five organisations involved will work together to develop standardised safety procedures that will set international benchmarks for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering. Risk assessments KR will verify the compliance of these safety procedures and issue an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate As part of the initiative, HD KSOE will perform risk assessments aligned with international industry standards, while HD HHI and KSS Line will utilise their expertise and experience in alternative-fuel vessels and ammonia carriers to evaluate controlled zones and safety procedures for ammonia STS bunkering. KR will verify the compliance of these safety procedures and issue an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate. The Liberian Registry, overseeing the world’s largest registered fleet, will further review the validity of these safety procedures. Advancing ammonia fuel technology KIM Yeontae, Executive Vice President of KR’s technical division, commented, "With the expected rise in ammonia bunkering demand driven by the construction of more ammonia-fuelled vessels, this collaborative effort to establish safety standards is highly significant." KIM Yeontae adds, "Through this partnership, KR is committed to advancing ammonia fuel technology and supporting the industry’s decarbonisation efforts." Adoption of LNG STS bunkering KIM Jungsik, Managing Director of the Korea Office at the Liberian Registry, stated, "Just as we observed with the initial adoption of LNG STS bunkering, it is critical to establish regulations and procedures for ammonia as well." KIM Jungsik adds, "Our Innovation and Energy Transition team will thoroughly review the safety protocols and support the development of international standards."

At Gastech 2024, ABS awarded approval in principle for two new autonomous technologies from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). Unmanned Ammonia Engine Room for Ammonia-Fueled Ship Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Package for Unmanned Engine Room for Ammonia-Fueled Ship Autonomous navigation technology AIPs are the culmination of a joint development project, part of a wide MOU between ABS and HD Hyundai The AIPs are the culmination of a joint development project, part of a comprehensive memorandum of understanding between ABS and HD Hyundai to advance the development of autonomous navigation technology into critical vessel machinery and safety systems. “This is another exciting milestone for ABS and HD Hyundai. Our work together continues to make significant steps forward in the analysis and application of autonomous technologies in maritime settings," said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.  Gas safety technology Ryan added: "ABS understands that autonomous systems are not stand-alone products but fully integrated with vessel infrastructure and the result of numerous advancements in a wide variety of mechanisms including sensors, imaging, connectivity, machine learning and application of systems engineering in ship design.” The Unmanned Ammonia Engine Room technology allows for a remote propulsion control station with gas safety technology on the navigation bridge of an ammonia-fueled vessel with the capability to monitor the machinery space. The centralised control station can be periodically unattended and can take automated corrective actions in the event of a fault in the machinery.  Advanced AI technologies AI Ammonia Safety Package applies advanced AI technologies for machinery management The AI Ammonia Safety Package applies advanced AI technologies for machinery management and interior and exterior safety management in conjunction with ammonia-fueled ship design.  The package is integrated into HD Hyundai’s Integrated Safety Control Solution (HiCAMS, AI+Vision) and Integrated Condition Diagnosis Solution (HiCBM, AI+CBM) and features a rapid response fire-fighting station in the event of fire in the propulsion machinery space. Future newbuilding projects Jaejun Jung, Executive Vice President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said: “Our extensive experience with alternative fuel systems has enabled us to develop the Unmanned Engine Room concept for Ammonia-Fueled ships, which enhances both crew safety and convenience. In collaboration with ABS, we have established an improved remote monitoring and automated system, which minimises crew access to the engine room and is expected to facilitate safer voyages for the crew." "This advanced concept will serve as an applicable solution for future newbuilding projects, meeting the demands of customers who seek safety-first ammonia-fueled ships. Furthermore, we anticipate that the AI Safety Package, when combined with the Unmanned Engine Room concept, will serve to enhance the safety level for the crew.”

At Gastech 2024 in Houston, classification society DNV awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Hyundai group for their cloud-based integrated Hyundai Intelligent Digital Twin Ship (HiDTS) system, marking a significant milestone in their three-year collaboration on Data-Driven Verification (DDV) of digital twin technologies. Since 2022, DNV and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) have been collaborating on Data-Driven Verification (DDV) of digital twin technologies. Integrated HiDTS systems The award marks another significant milestone in the application of DDV to the integrated HiDTS systems This ambitious three-year project has now been successfully completed, with the award of the Approval in Principle (AiP) in accordance with the DNV class notation DDV, with the DT (digital twin) qualifier.  The award marks another significant milestone in the application of DDV to the integrated HiDTS systems, based on the DNV Simulation Trust Centre (STC) cloud environment in Trondheim, Norway. And is another step towards realising the potential of digital twin technologies in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of maritime operations. KSOE simulation models The project was divided into three phases, each focusing on a different system: Phase 01 for the Power Management System (PMS), Phase 02 for the Engine Control System, and Phase 03 for the Gas Management and Cargo Handling (GMS and CHS) systems. The Approval in Principle (AiP) evaluated the use of KSOE simulation models as the basis for Data Driven Verification (DDV) of these systems through the use of Digital Twin (DT) technology. And as each phase progressed, the additional systems were connected and the scope of the systems covered in the digital twin simulation expanded, with the entire operation managed through an integrated ship system. Digital twin ecosystem The new integrated automation system HiCONiS was safely utilised in a vessel and completed sea trials In September 2024, based on the pilot testing and AiP processes conducted with DNV, the new integrated automation system HiCONiS, pre-validated for LNG carriers, was safely utilised in a vessel and successfully completed sea trials (Hull no. 8196, HD HSHI). Kwangpil Chang, CTO of HD KSOE, said: “To trust the emerging technology that will be applied to future ships, we need evidence that it is completely secure under all conditions. In this context, the creation of a digital twin ecosystem with DNV is a key part of the ship digitalisation puzzle. We believe our own digital twin technology will contribute to global decarbonisation efforts as well as to the realisation of autonomous ships.” Advanced future digital ships Ki-Dong Lee, CEO of HD Hyundai Marine Solution Co Ltd, added: “It is a meaningful step forward for advanced future digital ships. Using digital twins for virtual commissioning is a good way to mitigate the risk of errors and delays." "Furthermore, digital twin, delivered through the cloud, will be certain to transform the way humans and assets training, as well as their interactions.” HD Hyundai’s HiDTS system Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager DNV Maritime Korea & Japan, commented: “The latest edition of our Maritime Forecast to 2050 highlights the vital role of technology and digitalisation in achieving decarbonization." "The AiP for HD Hyundai’s HiDTS system showcases how digital twin technology can enhance energy efficiency - supporting the industry's shift towards sustainable shipping and meeting IMO emission targets.” Usability of digital twin HD KSOE, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), HD Hyundai Marine Solution (HD HMS) and DNV will continue their collaboration to assess the usability of digital twin and autonomous technologies, which can be applied to large commercial marine vessels, including compliance with classification rules, international guidelines and the applicable regulations. Based on the achievements of this project, the collaboration will expand to include different applications, such as crew training services and additional complex and hazardous systems.