Asia/Pacific News
ABS Approves South Korean 16,000 TEU Electric-Powered Boxship Design
A 16,000 TEU electric-powered container ship concept developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has secured approval from ABS.
The classification society assessed the ship’s power system, from generation and conversion to propulsion motors, before issuing the approval, ABS said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
The project will advance to its second stage in 2026, when HD Hyundai plans to develop large-scale energy storage solutions and higher-efficiency propulsion systems to make full-electric power viable for long-haul trades.
Electric ferries and coastal tonnage have shown the technology’s promise, but bringing it to a vessel of this size would be unprecedented. If developed further, the design could help accelerate the use of electric propulsion systems on ships taking longer voyages.
The approval in principle (AiP) was granted during the Gastech 2025 event in Milan.
