▶ Signed MOU for engine plant construction with Jeollabuk-do & Gunsan-si, its largest investment since being incorporated into HD Hyundai; ▶ Investment decision to expand defense & power generation engine business units and preempt the electrification market; ▶ Growth plan for cumulative engine business sales to reach KRW 4.5 trillion by 2035 HD Hyundai Infracore has invested KRW 116.8 billion in Gunsan to diversify its engine business portfolio and leverage new growth engines. On the 26th (Thursday), HD Hyundai Infracore announced that it has signed an ‘Investment Agreement (MOU) for Constructing Engine and Battery Pack Manufacturing Facilities’ with Jeollabuk-do, Gunsan-si, and the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation at the Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province Office. In attendance at the event were key officials including Jeollabuk-do Governor Kwan-young Kim, Gunsan-si Deputy Mayor Won-sik Shin, National Assemblyman Young-dae Shin, Jeollabuk-do Regional Headquarters Director Jong-bae Park of Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, and HD Hyundai Infracore President Seung-hyun Oh. Through this agreement, HD Hyundai Infracore plans to invest KRW 116.8 billion within its 62,700㎡ Gunsan plant site for constructing a defense and ultra-large power generation engine production plant and a battery packaging plant by the end of 2027 and establish mass production facilities. Related public authorities, including from Jeollabuk-do and Gunsan-si municipalities, will cooperate in providing administrative support such as construction support and regional investment subsidies to ensure seamless factory construction. With its largest facility investment since being incorporated into HD Hyundai, HD Hyundai Infracore will begin mass production of K2 tank defense engines, ultra-large power generation engines, commercial vehicle and industrial battery packs in the second half of 2026 at the earliest after completing the new plant construction. The new Gunsan plant can produce 120 tank defense engines per year, 1,250 ultra-large power generation engines with a maximum power output of 3 MW, and 880 MWh battery packs that can be installed in nearly 3,000 electric buses. HD Hyundai Infracore has secured a foothold for preempting the future construction and industrial machinery electrification market by establishing engine and battery pack production facilities in Gunsan, besides its existing construction machinery production facilities. The company plans to induce and meet tank engine orders for exports to Poland and Turkey and additional defense engine orders from this location, and has diversified its product portfolio from small and medium-sized engines produced at the existing Incheon plant to ultra-large engines to be produced in Gunsan. The company currently supplies battery packs to Doosan Bobcat through the Incheon plant, and plans to install battery packs in electric trucks to be released by Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles to the market. President Oh Seung-hyun of HD Hyundai Infracore said, “This investment decision is meant to diversify the profit structure of the engine business unit and leverage future growth engines,” and added, “With this investment, we expect to generate cumulative sales of over KRW 4.5 trillion over the next 10 years.”   

▶ TerraPower to complete a 4th-generation Sodium Fast Reactor(SFR) in Wyoming, USA, by 2030 ▶ HD Hyundai to manufacture reactor vessels for SFRs, leveraging expertise from participation in the ITER project ▶ SFR, a type of SMR known for its enhanced safety and reduced nuclear waste issues, gaining significant spotlight ▶ "We aim to lead the SMR sector as a next-generation, carbon-free power source with proven safety" HD Hyundai has officially partnered with TerraPower, a US-based company, to develop key components for Small Modular Reactor (SMR). On Friday, the 20th, HD Hyundai announced that it recently secured a project from TerraPower to manufacture cylindrical reactor vessels. The reactor vessel in this project will be integrated into TerraPower’s Natrium, a 345 MW 4th-generation Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR), which is planned for installation in Kemmerer, Wyoming, USA. The SFR, being jointly developed by HD Hyundai and TerraPower, is a type of SMR. The reactor vessel is a critical component of the SFR, containing the reactor core where nuclear fission occurs and ensuring the safe operation of the high-temperature, low-pressure coolant. To successfully execute this project, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, a shipbuilding affiliate of HD Hyundai, plans to actively leverage its accumulated expertise. This expertise comes from its participation in the development and production of key equipment, including vacuum vessels, for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR). The SFR generates electricity by using high-speed neutrons for nuclear fission and cooling the resulting heat with liquid sodium instead of water. Among SMRs, it is noted for its high safety and advanced technology, with nuclear waste volumes only one-twentieth of conventional reactors, making it the most promising next-generation SMR. The Natrium project aims for completion by 2030 after obtaining construction and operational permits from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Globally, interest and demand for nuclear power, a carbon-free energy source, are growing to achieve carbon neutrality and enhance energy security. As the limitations of large-scale nuclear plants, such as safety concerns and public acceptance, become more evident, the global nuclear market is expected to shift toward SMR-centric. According to SMR market report by global research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global SMR market is projected to grow from $5.7 billion in 2022 to $6.8 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 2.3%. “SMR has significant growth potential in the global decarbonization trend,” said an official of HD Hyundai. “Leveraging the expertise and capabilities built through projects such as ITER and KSTAR, we aim to lead the SMR sector, emerging as a next-generation power source.” Meanwhile, in March, HD Hyundai has played a leading role in co-founding the world’s first international private organization in the field of offshore nuclear power, the Nuclear Energy Marine Organization (NEMO). Since February, the company has also been conducting joint research on SMRs with leading global nuclear power companies.  

▶ Successful integrated demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote control for an 8,000-TEU large container ship ▶ World's first technology to enable control handover between remote operation centers, ensuring continuous long-distance operations ▶ "We will lead the future of the shipping industry by taking the lead in the international standardization of autonomous navigation technology" HD Hyundai successfully completed the integrated demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote control for large vessels, accelerating the commercialization of Level 3 autonomous navigation. HD Hyundai announced on the 28th that it has successfully conducted an integrated demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote control technology on an 8,000 TEU container ship. The company has also secured Approval in Principle (AIP) from both the Korean Register (KR) and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR). Through this demonstration, HD Hyundai plans to commercialize an integrated remote control service with Avikus, a subsidiary specializing in autonomous navigation, and its HiNAS Control autonomous navigation solution, along with the remote control solution developed in-house by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering. The remote control solution not only enables remote steering and speed control but is also designed to address the unique challenges of the vessel’s operating environment. It is equipped to handle communication delays, unexpected situations, and cyber threats that may arise during navigation.  In particular, HD Hyundai showcased the world’s first technology for switching control between multiple Remote Operation Centers (ROC) on large vessels during this demonstration. This technology allows for the seamless transfer of control from one ROC to another during long-distance voyages, ensuring the continuity of remote operations. In this demonstration, control was successfully transferred between the Digital Control Center (HiDCC) located at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan and the Digital Convergence Center (DCC) at HD Hyundai's Global R&D Center (GRC) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Meanwhile, autonomous vessels face challenging regulations, such as the Seafarers Act, Harbor Act, and Sea Traffic Safety Act, which make demonstrations difficult. However, HD Hyundai was able to successfully complete the demonstration, including maneuvers from the ROC and collision avoidance in congested areas, after receiving conditional approval through the Regulatory Sandbox Project for Advanced Industries, organized by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF). An official of the Korean Register (KR) stated, "HD Hyundai's remote control technology is essential for the commercialization of autonomous vessels, and its safety and reliability have been verified." An official of LISCR also emphasized, "Through HiNAS Control and the remote control solution, we have confirmed the feasibility of remote control between ROCs, providing a valuable Experience Building Phase (EBP) for the realization of autonomous navigation." "This certification has laid a crucial foundation for the commercialization of autonomous navigation and remote control technology," said an official of HD Hyundai stated. "We will continue to proactively respond to global institutions and regulations, such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and take the lead in the international standardization of autonomous navigation technology." ■ Levels of IMO Ship Autonomous Navigation  - Level 1: The system supports the crew's decision-making. - Level 2: Remote control is possible with the crew onboard. - Level 3: Remote control is possible without crew onboard. - Level 4: Fully autonomous navigation technology.