HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering secured orders for 12 LNG dual-fuel container ships worth 3.716 trillion won ($2.6 billion), marking its first contract for 2025. The vessels will be constructed at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan facility through December 2028.
The order aligns with tightening maritime decarbonization regulations, as shipping companies transition to cleaner fuel alternatives. HD KSOE has set an ambitious order target of $18.05 billion for this year, significantly above last year’s $13.5 billion goal.
At the Davos Forum, HD Hyundai Executive Vice President Chung Ki-sun highlighted the company’s digital transformation strategy during meetings with industry leaders from Maersk, Shell, and TotalEnergies. The company showcased its Future of Shipyard project, developed with Palantir Technologies, which aims to create autonomous shipbuilding operations.
The initiative, scheduled for completion by 2030, targets a 30% increase in productivity while reducing carbon emissions by the same margin. However, analysts note that achieving these goals may prove challenging given the industry’s traditional operational methods and current market uncertainties.
The company has not disclosed the buyer of the newly ordered vessels, raising questions about market demand transparency in the sector.
