DNV and the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry have awarded an Approval in Principle  certificate to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries  for a new 12K LNG Bunkering Vessel design, tailored to the needs of cruise ships. The AiP was presented to Mr. Ryu Hong Ryeul, CTO / HD HHI, by Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager for Korea & Japan at DNV, during a ceremony at Gastech 2026 yesterday.

The new concept, a dedicated LNG bunkering vessel (LNGBV) for the cruise segment, has been developed to address the unique operational challenges associated with refueling cruise ships. In particular, unlike conventional designs, the concept removes the bridge wings to avoid interfering with cruise ships’ lifeboats during bunkering operations.

To compensate for the reduced side visibility resulting from the removal of the bridge wings, the vessel is equipped with a CCTV system. In addition, side visibility safety and efficient bunkering operations have been enhanced through the addition of the HiNAS SVM (Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System Surround view monitoring system), which shows a 360-degree top-view AR image converted from inputs from multiple fish-eye cameras installed around the ship.

Mr. Ryu Hong Ryeul, CTO at HD HHI, said: “By enabling ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operations without the need for a floating pontoon, this 12K LNGBV bunkering vessel is expected to make LNG bunkering for cruise vessels more efficient and flexible. If this type of LNGBV becomes more widely adopted in the market, this could bring about significant changes in the demand structure and operating models of the LNGBV market because this new type of LNGBV is able to carry out bunkering more freely and flexibly, not only for cruise ships but also for conventional merchant vessels.”

Alfonso Castillero, Chief Executive Officer, Liberian Registry, said: “The Liberian Registry is pleased to support this Joint Development Project, which addresses the specific operational and safety considerations associated with LNG bunkering for cruise ships. The AiP represents an important milestone in advancing a practical and flexible vessel concept while maintaining a strong focus on safety, regulatory compliance and operational reliability.”

Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager for Korea & Japan at DNV, added: “The transition to lower-emission shipping depends not only on vessels, but also on the supporting infrastructure that enables alternative fuels to be used safely and efficiently. With LNG continuing to play a leading role both the cruise sector and the maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts more broadly, this LNG bunkering vessel concept represents an important step toward building the capabilities needed for the maritime energy landscape.”

An Approval in Principle (AiP) is an independent assessment of a concept within a defined framework of requirements. It confirms the feasibility of the design and verifies that no significant technical barriers exist to its implementation.