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- Received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for nuclear-powered container ship
- Unveiled model at U.S. New Nuclear for Maritime Summit - showcasing economic efficiency, performance, and safety
- "Developing a business model by 2030 to accelerate the commercialization of marine nuclear technology"
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), an intermediary holding company for HD Hyundai's shipbuilding sector, has unveiled a nuclear-powered container ship model utilizing Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, accelerating the development of nuclear-powered vessels.
On the 12th(Wednesday), HD KSOE announced that it had revealed its nuclear-powered container ship design model for the first time at the New Nuclear for Maritime Houston Summit, held at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston, USA.
Previously, HD KSOE had obtained Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a 15,000 TEU-class container ship design model applying SMR technology.
The newly unveiled design model features enhanced economic efficiency and safety by incorporating actual equipment and safety design concepts.
Unlike conventional ships, nuclear-powered vessels do not require engine exhaust systems or fuel tanks. HD KSOE has optimized the space previously occupied by large engine room equipment to accommodate additional containers, enhancing economic efficiency. The company has also applied a marine radiation shielding system using a double-tank method with stainless steel and *light water to ensure safety.
Furthermore, HD KSOE, in collaboration with global energy technology company Baker Hughes, has applied a *supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system, improving thermal efficiency by approximately 5% compared to existing steam-based propulsion systems.
HD KSOE plans to establish a marine nuclear demonstration facility at its Future Technology Test Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to verify safety designs.
"Nuclear-powered vessels can be a game-changer in the current shipbuilding market, where carbon neutrality is emerging," said Patrick Ryan, Chief Technology Officer of ABS. "ABS and HD KSOE will contribute to accelerating the commercialization of marine nuclear technology in the global shipbuilding market."
Meanwhile, at the summit, a discussion on 'Maritime Civil Nuclear Propulsion for Large Ships' was held, featuring Park Sangmin, Head of HD KSOE's Green Energy Research Lab; Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President, and CEO of ABS; and John Michael Richardson, former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations.
"HD KSOE is strengthening cooperation not only with major classification societies but also with international regulatory bodies to establish international regulations necessary for the commercialization of nuclear-powered vessels," said Park Sangmin. "Starting with the land-based SMR reactor manufacturing project, we aim to develop a marine nuclear business model by 2030."
Since February last year, HD KSOE has been accelerating related technology development through joint research on next-generation SMRs with TerraPower. In December of the same year, the company secured an order to manufacture the main equipment for TerraPower's Natrium reactor, which is being constructed in Wyoming, USA.
*Light water: Water used as a coolant and neutron moderator in reactors.
*Supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system: A technology that generates energy by heating carbon dioxide in a supercritical state. It enables high-efficiency power generation even at low temperatures and pressures, making it a next-generation power generation technology.
- Received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for nuclear-powered container ship
- Unveiled model at U.S. New Nuclear for Maritime Summit - showcasing economic efficiency, performance, and safety
- "Developing a business model by 2030 to accelerate the commercialization of marine nuclear technology"
SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), an intermediary holding company for HD Hyundai's shipbuilding sector, has unveiled a nuclear-powered container ship model utilizing Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, accelerating the development of nuclear-powered vessels.
On the 12th(Wednesday), HD KSOE announced that it had revealed its nuclear-powered container ship design model for the first time at the New Nuclear for Maritime Houston Summit, held at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston, USA.
Previously, HD KSOE had obtained Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for a 15,000 TEU-class container ship design model applying SMR technology.
The newly unveiled design model features enhanced economic efficiency and safety by incorporating actual equipment and safety design concepts.
Unlike conventional ships, nuclear-powered vessels do not require engine exhaust systems or fuel tanks. HD KSOE has optimized the space previously occupied by large engine room equipment to accommodate additional containers, enhancing economic efficiency. The company has also applied a marine radiation shielding system using a double-tank method with stainless steel and *light water to ensure safety.
Furthermore, HD KSOE, in collaboration with global energy technology company Baker Hughes, has applied a *supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system, improving thermal efficiency by approximately 5% compared to existing steam-based propulsion systems.
HD KSOE plans to establish a marine nuclear demonstration facility at its Future Technology Test Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to verify safety designs.
"Nuclear-powered vessels can be a game-changer in the current shipbuilding market, where carbon neutrality is emerging," said Patrick Ryan, Chief Technology Officer of ABS. "ABS and HD KSOE will contribute to accelerating the commercialization of marine nuclear technology in the global shipbuilding market."
Meanwhile, at the summit, a discussion on 'Maritime Civil Nuclear Propulsion for Large Ships' was held, featuring Park Sangmin, Head of HD KSOE's Green Energy Research Lab; Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President, and CEO of ABS; and John Michael Richardson, former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations.
"HD KSOE is strengthening cooperation not only with major classification societies but also with international regulatory bodies to establish international regulations necessary for the commercialization of nuclear-powered vessels," said Park Sangmin. "Starting with the land-based SMR reactor manufacturing project, we aim to develop a marine nuclear business model by 2030."
Since February last year, HD KSOE has been accelerating related technology development through joint research on next-generation SMRs with TerraPower. In December of the same year, the company secured an order to manufacture the main equipment for TerraPower's Natrium reactor, which is being constructed in Wyoming, USA.
*Light water: Water used as a coolant and neutron moderator in reactors.
*Supercritical carbon dioxide-based propulsion system: A technology that generates energy by heating carbon dioxide in a supercritical state. It enables high-efficiency power generation even at low temperatures and pressures, making it a next-generation power generation technology.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Leads the Zero-Carbon Era with 'SMR-Powered Ship'
GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, GAC's independently developed Quark E-Drive power domain control system has achieved the world's first dual certification for deeply integrated ASIL D functional safety and information security, accredited by DAkkS, Germany's national accreditation body. The certification was evaluated and issued by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. (SGS), a globally recognized certification authority.
ISO 26262 is the internationally recognized core standard for automotive functional safety. Within this framework, ASIL D represents the highest automotive safety integrity level, requiring near-zero tolerance for safety-critical failures. Achieving an ASIL D certification accredited by DAkkS signifies that the certified product meets the highest globally accepted standards for automotive safety.
The certified Quark E-Drive power domain control system has been in production use since February 2025, and is now deployed across multiple models under GAC's brands - HYPTEC and AION. As the industry's first electric drive power domain system based on deep integration using a single main control chip, the solution significantly reduces chip count, minimizes risks associated with chip-level failures, and boosts motor controller efficiency to as high as 99.9%. The certification confirms that GAC has completed the system's full product development lifecycle in strict compliance with ISO 26262:2018 functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434:2021 information security standards.
Throughout the project, GAC Technology Research Center worked closely with SGS experts, strengthening safety design across all development phases while ensuring engineering feasibility and an optimal user experience.
Zhao Hui, Vice President of SGS China, commented: "The successful certification highlights GAC's strong team and robust development systems. We are pleased to support the safety of the Quark E-Drive and look forward to closer collaboration."
This milestone represents a major breakthrough for GAC in e-drive safety and sets a new global benchmark for the intelligent electric vehicle industry.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
GAC's Quark Electric Drive Achieves the World's First DAkkS ASIL D Functional Safety and Information Security Dual Certification
