HD Hyundai to Develop International Standards for Electric Propulsion Ships with American Bureau of Shipping

Development of ABS and Shipboard MVDC and Establishment of International Standards

HD Hyundai's shipbuilding subsidiaries, HD Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, have joined forces with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to secure a leading position in the large vessel electric propulsion market.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed a mutual cooperation agreement with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for classification rules and research on high-voltage direct current power distribution systems (MVDC) for ships. The first person from the left is Kwon Byung-hoon, Head of the Electrification Center at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the third is Kim Seong-hoon, Head of ABS Korea Branch.
[Photo by HD Hyundai]

On the 3rd, HD Hyundai announced that it signed a mutual cooperation agreement with ABS at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to develop classification rules and conduct research on high-voltage direct current (MVDC) power transmission and distribution systems for ships.

MVDC is a technology that transmits high-voltage electricity between 1.5 and 100 kV in direct current form. It has the advantage of lower energy loss compared to alternating current transmission, making it a promising next-generation power supply method. When applied to large electric propulsion vessels, MVDC can improve the integrated electrical energy efficiency by up to 20% compared to existing AC power systems.

However, despite its high energy efficiency, shipboard MVDC lacks international standards, which has hindered its commercialization. In response, HD Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will collaborate with ABS to develop shipboard MVDC technology and establish international standards.

Byunghoon Kwon, Head of the Electrification Center at HD Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, stated, "MVDC technology is not an option but a necessity for zero-carbon large vessels and next-generation electric propulsion warships. We plan to lead the large vessel electric propulsion market through the development of shipboard MVDC and the establishment of international standards."

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