HD Hyundai introduces Half-Ship construction to boost shipyard capacity

South Korea’s leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai has introduced a new half-ship construction model to expand yard capacity and manage its record orderbook, Splash 247 reports – marking the first time the country’s shipbuilding industry has split full vessel construction between two shipyards at this scale.

 

The approach was demonstrated at the company’s Ulsan Shipyard, where a 157,000 dwt suezmax tanker was assembled from two large hull sections built at different locations. The bow section, measuring 168 meters, was constructed by HSG Sungdong Shipbuilding in Tongyeong and transported about 120 km by sea before being joined with a 102-meter stern section built in-house at Ulsan. Delivery is scheduled for July.

 

The strategy focuses on efficiency. HD Hyundai keeps the technically complex stern section (including the engine room) inside its own yard, while outsourcing the labour-intensive bow construction. This allows the company to work on multiple vessels simultaneously within the same dock space instead of building ships strictly one at a time.

 

The shift reflects wider pressure across South Korea’s shipbuilding sector. The combined orderbook of the country’s “Big Three” (HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries) has surged from $86bn in 2021 to more than $139bn by the end of last year, pushing yards to increase effective capacity without building new docks.

 

Instead of expanding infrastructure, shipbuilders are redesigning production models – turning collaboration between yards into a key tool for handling today’s historic workload.

 

Picture: HD HHI