ABS, HD KSOE, Siemens to Develop Ammonia Vessel Safety Digital Twin
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HDKSOE) and Siemens have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop digital twin technology for assessing leak behavior and safety aboard ammonia-fueled vessels.
The collaboration, announced at Gastech 2026, will combine computational fluid dynamics analysis with digital twin technology to rapidly predict how ammonia would disperse in the event of a leak.
The technology is intended to allow a range of leakage and accident scenarios to be assessed early in the vessel design process.
HD KSOE will develop ammonia safety systems and lead related experimental research, while Siemens will provide simulation analysis and digital twin technology. ABS will develop a safety assessment methodology based around digital twins.
The partners aim to use the work to support safety validation for ammonia-fueled vessels as the maritime industry evaluates ammonia as an alternative fuel.
“By pairing CFD analysis with digital twin technology, this project gives designers a faster, more rigorous way to understand leak behavior. ABS is proud to bring our technical authority to this collaboration with HD KSOE and Siemens,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
“The AI transformation of the shipbuilding industry is not simply about applying new technologies; it is a process of innovating the way we work. We expect the integration of AI and digital twin technologies to accelerate further in the R&D field as well,” added Chang Kwangpil, Head of the Future Technology Institute at HD KSOE.
