World’s First Demonstration of Boil-Off Gas Recycling Technology Completed by South Korean Conglomerate and Classification Society

South Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai and compatriot classification society Korean Register (KR) have revealed the completion of what is claimed to be the world’s first demonstration of a technology that recycles boil-off gas (BOG) from LNG-fueled ships under construction into onshore city gas.

The demonstration was conducted following the initial concept proposal by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), and the development of the BOG processing system by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) and DongHwa Entec.

KR and The Liberian Registry (LISCR) carried out verification of the system’s design, manufacturing, and operation.

The demonstration partners expect the once fully developed technology to recover over 50 tons of boil-off gas per LNG-fueled ship under construction, and support compliance with port environmental regulations, including the broader adoption of alternative maritime power (AMP).

As previously reported, HD HHI and partners set out to conduct the demonstration project in April 2025 to recover the boil-off gas from a 7,900 TEU LNG-fueled containership currently under construction and use it as an energy source at its worksites.

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the construction of LNG-fueled ships was part of a national task of the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) in 2023.

Due to the lack of relevant laws and standards for the self-consumption of evaporated gas in Korea’s City Gas Business Act, HD HHI applied for a regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption from MOTIE to carry out this project, and received conditional approval on October 23, 2024.

The demonstration period is slated to end on March 30, 2027.