Hanwha Power secures ABS approval for 1,700 TEU electric ship

Its 151-MWh battery units can be stowed like standard cargo containers.

South Korea-based Hanwha Power has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping for its design of a 1,700 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) battery-powered containership.

The fully electric vessel design features a 151-megawatt-hour energy storage system that supplies power for propulsion, enabling operation without direct carbon emissions when charged using port infrastructure.

The battery units can be handled and stowed like standard cargo containers, allowing for more efficient use of space and flexible battery replacement.

The design is intended to support the decarbonisation of short-sea and regional container transport.

Hanwha Power has also completed the basic design of a 1,000-TEU battery-powered containership as it expands its portfolio of electric-propulsion vessels for different operating conditions and customer requirements.

"We will address the needs of the next-generation zero-carbon maritime transport market with integrated solutions that combine electric propulsion and containerized battery system technologies,” said Jong-kyu Hwang, Vice President, Technology Solutions at Hanwha Power.

The AiP was presented at the Maritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference & Exhibition 2026 in Bergen, Norway, on 22 October.