Hanwha Ocean has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from ABS for a fuel system designed to allow an LNG carrier to transition from LNG to ammonia without replacing its fuel tank or fuel supply system.
The approval was presented at Gastech 2026 in Bangkok and covers a multi-purpose fuel tank and integrated fuel gas supply system.
System designed for LNG and ammonia
The concept has been developed for an electrically propelled LNG carrier powered by a gas turbine.
Hanwha Ocean designed the system to supply either LNG or ammonia to the gas turbine. This would allow the vessel design to move from LNG to ammonia while retaining the same fuel tank and fuel supply infrastructure.
ABS reviewed the concept against applicable classification and international requirements before granting the AiP.
“Fuel flexibility is a practical requirement for owners navigating an evolving regulatory environment, and the engineering challenge of achieving it without tank replacement is significant,” said Gareth Burton, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering.
Hanwha Ocean builds on ammonia development
The latest approval follows earlier work between ABS and Hanwha Ocean on ammonia-powered vessel technology.
In 2023, ABS granted AiP for an ammonia gas turbine propulsion system. The two companies followed this in 2024 with a gas dispersion study involving a 174,000 m³ LNG carrier equipped with an ammonia gas turbine.
Hanwha Ocean said the latest design is intended to provide shipowners with greater flexibility as fuel requirements and environmental regulations develop.
“Hanwha Ocean’s multi-purpose fuel design offers shipowners a practical and flexible pathway from LNG to ammonia while safeguarding long-term competitiveness,” said Young Chang Shon, CTO of Hanwha Ocean.
The announcement did not include a vessel order or timetable for commercial deployment of the system.
