SEOUL-- Samsung Heavy Industries Co. said Thursday that it received approval in principle from DNV, a Norwegian-German ship quality assurance society, for its design of the world's first fuel-cell propelled LNG carrier.

Samsung Heavy developed the design with U.S. fuel cell maker Bloom Energy that commercialized solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), the shipbuilder said.

SOFCs are energy conversion devices that generate electricity.

The fuel cell-powered LNG carrier will be equipped with engines using SOFCs and LNG so that it will have no internal-combustion engines and devices using oil.

Samsung Heavy's design for fuel cell-propelled crude carriers was approved by DNV-GL in September 2019.

Source: Yonhap News Agency