The partnership marks a significant step forward in the application of digital shipyard technologies.

Lloyd’s Register  and HD Hyundai MIPO Dockyard have signed a Memorandum of Understanding  to collaborate on advancing digital manufacturing for Type C tanks.

The MoU sets out a joint commitment to develop and verify a streamlined, digitally enabled production process for Type C tanks, which are expected to see increased demand due to their ability to store pressurised and cryogenic cargo/fuel of LNG or liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).

It aims to establish a transparent quality assurance scheme through the production of Type C tanks for storing LNG or LCO2. HMD will integrate monitoring and digital manufacturing technologies, including digital twin technology and smart quality assurance systems, into its production lines. LR will provide technical support and independently verify the uptake and application of these technologies.

The project will run from May 2025 to July 2026, with LR working alongside HMD’s engineering and production teams to validate the application of new digital workflows within a future-ready smart factory environment. The aim is to reduce production time and variability, while increasing confidence in the consistency and safety of tank construction.

Sung-Gu Park, President – North East Asia, Lloyd’s Register, said: “This initiative is poised to deliver a smart, transparent quality assurance framework for HMD’s future smart factory. By embedding digital tools into the heart of the production of Type C tanks, it will enhance efficiency, reduce variability, and increase traceability in the production of these critical components.”

Hyung Kwan Kim, CEO of HD Hyundai Mipo, said: “With the advancement of digital manufacturing and automation technologies with monitoring system, consistent quality assurance and verifiable data-based quality certification has become possible. This aims to enhance the transparency of quality and establish a shipbuilding production system that shipowners can trust.”