Lloyd's Register (LR) has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) for the design development of a 35,000 cbm class liquefied CO₂ carrier.
The AiP was presented during Gastech 2026 in Bangkok.
The AiP follows a joint development project between LR, HHI and HD KSOE to develop and review the design in accordance with LR Rules. The project combines HHI's shipbuilding expertise, HD KSOE's research and development capabilities, supported by technical insights from its Marine Innovative Decarbonization R&D facility,and LR's technical assessment and regulatory review experience.
The 35,000 cbm design has been developed to support the growing demand for large-scale transportation of captured carbon dioxide. As carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects continue to advance globally, the safe and efficient transport of liquefied CO₂ is expected to become an increasingly important part of the value chain.
The joint development project focused on the design of the vessel and its review against LR's classification requirements. Through the collaboration, the partners assessed key technical and safety considerations associated with a large-capacity liquefied CO₂ carrier, providing a foundation for further design development and future shipbuilding projects.
The AiP confirms that the design has undergone an initial technical assessment and satisfies the applicable requirements for the concept stage of development.
Constantinos Chaelis, Global Gas Segment Director, Lloyd's Register, said: “As carbon capture projects move towards commercial deployment, the industry needs safe, efficient and scalable ways to transport captured CO₂ from source to storage. LCO₂ carriers are a critical part of that value chain.
“Through projects such as this, LR is helping establish the technical foundations required to support larger-scale CO₂ transportation, giving project developers, shipowners and investors greater confidence as carbon capture infrastructure continues to develop.”
Ryu Hong Ryeul, CTO at HHI, said: “Securing this Approval in Principle (AiP) proves that our design is optimized for large-scale LCO₂ transport with enhanced utilization of cargo hold space. With this newly added competitive edge including enhanced safety enabled by our novel design, we are fully prepared to proactively address future market demands.”
