HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, the holding entity of HD Hyundai Shipbuilding Division, has kickstarted the year on a high note with a flurry of orders.
Namely, since the beginning of the year, the South Korean shipbuilding major has signed construction contracts for a total of 25 ships worth approximately $2.15 billion (KRW 2.8218 trillion) with shipping conglomerates from Europe, Oceania, Asia, and the Middle East.
The deals include 2 very large ammonia carriers, 15 medium-sized PC ships, 6 very large LPG carriers, and two LNG carriers.
The winning streak was initiated on Thursday, January 4, with a contract to construct two 88,000 cbm LPG carriers for an undisclosed shipowner from Europe. The value of the deal is KRW 303 billion ($230 million). The ships are slated for delivery by the end of June 2027, HD KSOE revealed in its stock exchange filling. The vessels will be constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Last week, the shipbuilding giant also secured an order for two 88,000 cbm ultra-large ammonia carriers from an Oceania-based shipping company. These vessels, equipped with LPG dual-fuel propulsion engines, are the largest vessels capable of traversing the Old Panama Canal. The deal, worth KRW 317.3 billion ($240 million), will see HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan constructing and delivering the carriers to the shipowner by the first half of 2027.
At the beginning of this week, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering clinched an impressive deal with Asian shipping companies for 15 medium-sized product carriers, totaling KRW 942.5 billion ($718 million). These vessels, measuring 183m in length, 32.2m in width, and 19.1m in height, will be constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, with deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2026.
Continuing its winning streak, on Tuesday, January 9, the company secured orders from a Middle Eastern shipping company for four 88,000 cbm LPG/ammonia carriers and two 174,000 cbm LNG carriers, all equipped with dual fuel propulsion engines.
The order was confirmed by Nakilat ascribing the order to strategic expansion.
Nakilat said the new LNG carriers and LPG carriers will integrate the latest technologies, showcasing advanced environmentally friendly and efficient propulsion systems through fuel-saving devices.
Valued at KRW 1.2588 trillion ($959 million), these six ships will be built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, and handed over to the shipowner by the second half of 2027.
Upon delivery, Nakilat’s LNG fleet will expand to 71 vessels, and the LPG fleet will grow to eight vessels with the addition of four new vessels.
“Since the beginning of the year, inquiries about ship orders from various ship types have continued,” an official from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering said, emphasizing the company’s efforts to maintain a stable order backlog while strategically focusing on high-value-added ships to bolster profitability.
In 2023, HD KSOE signed contracts worth $22.6 billion, exceeding its annual order target of $15.7 billion. The shipbuilding heavyweight was the only South Korean yard of the ‘Big Three’ to meet and exceed its annual targets last year, leaving behind Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries.
