The Horn Sounds for 'Eco-Friendly Voyage'... Hanwha Ocean Secures Consecutive Technology Certifications at Gastech

Ammonia Fuel Safety Proven, Commercialization Accelerated

Rotor Sail Certification Obtained, Boosting Ship Application

Hanwha Ocean has been accelerating the development of decarbonized ships by consecutively acquiring eco-friendly ship technology certifications from major overseas classification societies.

Recently, Hanwha Ocean participated in 'Gastech 2024' held in Houston, USA, and received approvals related to eco-friendly ship propulsion technologies from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Norwegian classification society DNV, Liberia Ship Corporate Registry, and French classification society Bureau Veritas (BV).

Previously, Hanwha Ocean completed a safety evaluation verifying ammonia dispersion safety through Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) with ABS. In collaboration with ABS, Hanwha Ocean conducted quantitative analyses of toxicity and explosiveness by simulating various scenarios of fuel leakage in ammonia gas turbine-powered vessels.

The resulting figures met the requirements set by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) earlier this year, thereby proving safety. With this certification, the ammonia-propelled vessel developed by Hanwha Ocean has passed the most crucial gateway for entering the market.

Ammonia is gaining attention as an eco-friendly ship fuel because it emits no carbon dioxide during combustion. However, it requires careful handling due to its potential harm to humans and risk of explosion if leaked.

Last year, Hanwha Ocean signed a memorandum of understanding with ABS for the development of ammonia-propelled vessels and has since been developing optimal designs that pre-identify potential hazards to ensure crew safety. With this review certification, Hanwha Ocean has taken a further lead in the competition for zero-carbon propulsion systems.

Approvals related to Rotor Sail, a next-generation eco-friendly auxiliary propulsion device utilizing wind, have also continued. Hanwha Ocean became the first in Korea to obtain Type Approval Design Certification (TADC) from DNV for a 'composite material-applied Rotor Sail.'

Type approval is a stage where detailed reviews of designs are conducted before actual application on ships. Through this approval, DNV certified that Hanwha Ocean's Rotor Sail is suitable for real-ship application.

Additionally, Hanwha Ocean, together with the Liberia Ship Corporate Registry and BV, conducted joint research and obtained Approval in Principle (AIP) for a solution to eliminate the blind sector, where navigation lights are blocked due to Rotor Sail installation.

Rotor Sail is a cylindrical pillar-shaped device installed on the deck. It saves fuel by utilizing the propulsion force generated when the cylinder rotates under wind power. Hanwha Ocean has been developing Rotor Sail in-house since 2019 and began construction of a Rotor Sail demonstration center in April, where main experiments can be conducted simultaneously by assembling Rotor Sails on land. The goal is to complete it by 2026. Upon opening in two years, it is expected to become the world's first Rotor Sail demonstration center.

A Hanwha Ocean official stated, "At this year's Gastech, Hanwha Ocean's eco-friendly ship technologies were consecutively recognized by the world's leading classification societies, giving further momentum to our decarbonization vision," and added, "We will do our utmost so that shipowners can confidently choose Hanwha Ocean's products."

At Gastech 2024 held in Houston, Patrick Ryan, Chief Technology Officer of ABS (left), Youngchang Son, Vice President and Head of Product Strategy Technology Institute at Hanwha Ocean, and Joseph Kelly, President of ABS Consulting, are posing for a commemorative photo after completing the certification for "Ammonia Diffusion Stability Verification."

At Gastech 2024 held in Houston, DNV's Martin Sondre Cartwright, Global Head of Gas Vessel Sales (fifth from the left), and Hanwha Ocean's Youngchang Son, Vice President and Head of Product Strategy and Technology (sixth from the left), along with representatives from both companies, held a type approval ceremony for the rotor sail applying composite materials.

At Gastech 2024 held in Houston, representatives from three companies, including Pierre Pareologou, Vice President of Ship and Offshore Division at BV (second from left), Youngchang Son, Vice President and Head of Product Strategy Technology Center at Hanwha Ocean (third from left), and Thomas Clennam, Vice President of Liberia Registry (fourth from left), held a basic approval ceremony for the "Elimination of Blind Spots in Ship Navigation Lights."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.