South Korea’s HD Hyundai is positioning itself at the forefront of the maritime energy transition, unveiling its latest decarbonization strategy at the Electric & Hybrid Marine Expo Europe 2025 in Amsterdam. The company is betting on a hybrid combination of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and bio-liquefied natural gas (Bio-LNG) to help the shipping industry meet tightening European Union climate targets.
During the event held June 24–26, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding unit, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), presented a technical blueprint for applying SOFC systems on cruise ships. The initiative is part of its broader plan to commercialize zero-emission marine propulsion technologies by 2035.
According to internal estimates, SOFC systems could replace up to 19.4% of a cruise ship’s onboard generator engine capacity and provide approximately 60% of its steady-state power demand. The system also offers efficiency gains over conventional diesel-powered generators, which typically operate at 42.7% efficiency. HD KSOE projects that SOFC systems could reach 48.9%, contributing significantly to fuel savings and emissions reductions.
While interest in bio-LNG is growing across the industry, HD Hyundai warned that traditional combustion engine systems, even when paired with low-carbon fuels, may fall short of meeting the EU’s net-zero goals for 2050. To support this, the company presented a scenario analysis extending through 2054, comparing four propulsion strategies: traditional marine engines, SOFC-only systems, SOFC with conventional fuels, and SOFC combined with bio-LNG. Among them, the SOFC + bio-LNG hybrid showed the most effective and sustained emissions reduction, particularly after 2045.
To accelerate development, HD Hyundai has been aggressively investing in clean propulsion technologies. In October 2023, the company signed a €45 million (about $48 million) strategic investment deal with Elcogen AS, an Estonian fuel cell manufacturer. In 2024, it acquired Convion, a Finnish company with commercial SOFC deployment experience.
HD Hyundai’s European R&D center is leading collaborative efforts with Norwegian classification society DNV, German cruise operator TUI Cruises, and HD Hydrogen to integrate SOFC systems aboard next-generation cruise vessels. These partnerships, along with its early investments, reinforce the company’s ambition to lead the green transition in global shipbuilding.
