ABS Grants AIP for U.S.-Built LNG Bunkering ATB to Samsung Heavy Industries and Conrad Shipyard

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has issued an Approval in Principle (AIP) for an articulated tug-barge (ATB) design intended for LNG bunkering, developed through a collaboration between South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries and U.S.-based Conrad Shipyard. This project marks an early milestone for the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center, signaling a strategic effort to integrate South Korean design expertise with U.S. domestic shipbuilding capacity to meet growing LNG infrastructure demand.