HD Hyundai Heavy names world's largest ammonia carrier Terra Clove

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries christened the world's largest ammonia-powered gas carrier at its Ulsan shipyard on Oct. 22, 2026. The naming marks the first commercial application of ammonia propulsion to very large gas carriers.

The vessel, named Terra Clove, provides 93,000 cubic meters of cargo capacity across four specialized tanks. The ship represents the first of two sister carriers contracted to the yard by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping in 2023.

The gas carrier measures 230 meters in length, 36.5 meters in beam and 23.6 meters in hull depth. The vessel can transport ammonia alongside liquefied petroleum gas in tanks built using proprietary shipyard designs.

The dual-fuel propulsion system burns conventional marine fuel oil or ammonia. The design incorporates a shaft generator that harnesses propulsion shaft rotation to produce electrical power during transit, reducing auxiliary fuel burn.

Exhaust streams run through integrated nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide reduction units. The propulsion setup aligns with incoming international emissions caps that penalize vessels running exclusively on heavy bunker fuels.

Ammonia generates no carbon dioxide emissions during combustion. However, the chemical presents acute toxicity and corrosive operational risks for vessel crews and port facilities during bunkering and voyage operations.

The yard fitted real-time leak detection sensors throughout the cargo containment and machinery spaces. An automatic release reduction system neutralizes escaping vapor before toxic concentrations can accumulate in enclosed compartments.

Eastern Pacific Shipping contracted two identical 93,000-cubic-meter vessels at the yard during 2023. The carrier will enter commercial operations under the Singapore flag following final yard outfitting in early November 2026.

Executive Vice Chairman Lee Sang-kyun of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries led the ceremony at the yard. Chief Executive Cyril Ducau of Eastern Pacific Shipping attended alongside Loh Khum Yean, chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Singapore Maritime Foundation Executive Director Tan Beng Tee and American Bureau of Shipping President John McDonald also attended the yard event. More than 110 maritime officials and executives took part in the proceedings.

The delivery widens the operational footprint of ammonia fuel from regional transport to deep-sea trade routes. South Korean shipbuilders have targeted zero-carbon propulsion contracts to protect operating margins against standard shipyard competition.

The delivery follows smaller gas vessel completions at the same shipbuilding group. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries built two 46,000-cubic-meter ammonia-powered gas carriers ordered by Belgian shipowner Exmar in April 2026.

Those earlier vessels, named Antwerpen and Arlon, left the yard for final customer handover in May and July 2026. The latest delivery doubles the volume capacity of ammonia-fueled vessels operating in global commercial fleets.

Engine development underpins the shipyard group's gas strategy. The company secured type approvals from seven maritime classification societies in 2024 for its high-pressure direct-injection HiMSEN ammonia dual-fuel engine.

Yard engineers designed the cargo handling infrastructure to allow dual-gas versatility. The carrier can alternate between ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas cargoes without requiring structural reconfiguration between charter contracts.

The carrier will complete sea trials and final system checks before departure. Commercial handover to Eastern Pacific Shipping remains scheduled for the first week of November 2026.

The company's notice does not disclose the exact hull launch date, and regulatory filings do not record individual ship christenings. The second vessel in the two-ship contract remains under construction at the Ulsan yard.