HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the flagship shipbuilding unit of South Korea’s HD Hyundai Group, is partnering with Techcross, the world’s top maker of ballast water treatment systems, to develop core technologies for ammonia-powered ships.
The companies aim to complete new solutions by next year that could become a game-changer in treating contaminated water and recovering residual ammonia gas, paving the way for cleaner, more efficient ships.
According to Techcross on July 21, the two firms held a signing ceremony on July 10 at Techcross’s plant in Busan, South Korea, to kick off joint research.
The event was attended by about 10 executives, including Techcross CEO Park Seok-won and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries senior executives Lee Hwan-sik and Ko Young-dae.
The partnership will focus on two technologies: an electrolysis-based treatment system for ammonia-contaminated water, and a purge gas recovery system.
The first technology is designed to safely break down and process wastewater from ammonia fuel systems using electrochemical methods, addressing tightening environmental regulations.
The second aims to recover residual ammonia from the fuel system, improving fuel efficiency and minimizing emissions.
Under the agreement, HD Hyundai will provide technical support while Techcross handles research and testing, with the goal of completing development by the end of 2025. The companies plan to explore applications on ships based on the results.
This collaboration is significant because it addresses one of the biggest barriers to ammonia-powered ships: the safe handling of ammonia’s toxic byproducts.
The technology is expected to help accelerate the adoption of ammonia as a clean marine fuel, in line with stricter international emissions rules.
The International Maritime Organization plans to impose carbon emissions limits starting in 2027 for ships over 5,000 tons, with fines assessed per ton of excess emissions. Against this backdrop, ammonia has gained attention as a next-generation marine fuel because it emits no carbon dioxide and is easier to store and transport than hydrogen.
Market research firm Lucintel projects the global ammonia-fueled ship market to grow at an average annual rate of 17.6% from 2024 to 2030.
However, ammonia’s toxicity and potential harm to marine ecosystems in the event of leaks have made the development of safe treatment technologies essential.
HD Hyundai is moving aggressively to secure a leadership position in the eco-friendly ship market by developing stable handling technologies.
In October 2023, the company won the world’s first order for ammonia-fueled ships, signing a deal with Belgian shipping company Exmar for two 45,000-cubic-meter medium-sized carriers.
Those vessels, now under construction at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, will feature ammonia dual-fuel engines.
