Hanwha Shipping has named its new very large crude carrier, which carries classification society ABS notations for future use of ammonia, methanol or LNG.

The Elandra K2 is the first of three 320,000 DWT VLCCs being built for Hanwha Shipping at Hanwha Ocean’s Okpo Shipyard, ABS said in a LinkedIn post today.

The Elandra Kunlun is scheduled for delivery in December 2026, followed by the Elandra Kilimanjaro in February 2027.

The Elandra K2 has ABS Fuel Ready Level 1C notations for ammonia, LNG and methanol, giving the vessel flexibility to adopt alternative fuels as regulations change.

For shipowners, fuel-ready classifications are one way to keep new tonnage aligned with a market that is still dominated by conventional bunker fuels but is facing growing pressure to reduce emissions over time. The notations do not mean the vessel is already operating on those fuels, but they do signal that the ship has been designed with a potential pathway for later conversion.

Several ships have been ordered and delivered with ammonia-ready or methanol-ready classifications as shipowners hedge against future fuel transitions. However, actual conversions to run on these fuels remain limited across the global fleet, so the practical significance of such notations is mainly in future optionality rather than immediate fuel use.

Ship & Bunker News Team

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