At this week’s Gastech exhibition taking place in Milan, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) have received approval in principle (AIP) from ABS for their concept design of a 16,000 teu containership with an electric propulsion system.

The AIP represents the culmination of the project’s first phase of development. HD Hyundai plans to advance to a second phase in 2026, applying energy storage systems and high-efficiency propulsion drives to further accelerate the commercialisation of zero-carbon ship technologies.

HD Hyundai is having a busy Gastech with a number of new ship designs catching the eye, including a novel LNG carrier design – created in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) – that features four giant hard sails and the accomodation block shifted to the prow of the vessel.

The annual Gastech exhibition is the largest LNG gathering in the world, with more than 50,000 people expected to attend this week.