The “strong methanol dual fuel engine” developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been selected as the winner of the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award in the 10th week of 2025. This engine can selectively use diesel fuel and methanol, depending on the situation, but produces the same output as high-efficiency diesel fuel.  The advantage is that fuel suitable for the situation can be used in the right place. Carbon emissions were drastically reduced while producing the same output as conventional diesel fuels.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which controls 70% of the world’s low-carbon ship engine market, is expected to solidify its market dominance with this engine development.

As greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction becomes important due to climate change, environmental regulations on ships are increasing. The International Maritime Organization has set a target of reducing carbon emissions from international shipping by at least 20% by 2030, as compared to 2008 levels. It was decided to be 50% in 2018, but it set the target twice as high in 2023.  The ultimate goal is to reach net zero emissions by 2050.  Currently, carbon emitted by the shipping industry sector accounts for 3% of global emissions.

The dual fuel engine developed uses green methanol fuel to reduce carbon emissions by more than 90%. In order to produce methanol, carbon dioxide and hydrogen must be reacted, and green methanol uses renewable energy in this process and emits less carbon. However, methanol fuel is less efficient than diesel fuel.

The development team has changed the way methanol fuel is burned in the engine. Existing engines using methanol fuel could not directly put methanol into the cylinder, rather only sprayed methanol around the intake port to put methanol-mixed air into the cylinder. In this way, the engine power cannot be increased above a certain level. However, the engine developed this time improved output by injecting methanol directly into the cylinder.

A total of 349 dual fuel engines developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries were sold the first half of 2024, winning more than $580 million (about 840 billion won). This is equivalent to 70% of the global market share.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to develop engines that use alternative fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen in addition to methanol. Seo Chan-yoon, a senior engineer at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ engine development department, said, “We are focusing on responding to the market by developing additional engine types suitable for the output range.”