HJ Heavy Industries Wins Order for Four 7,900 TEU Container Ships Worth About 600 Billion KRW

Two Eco-friendly Container Ships Ordered for $220 Million

Option for Two Additional Ships, Sequential Delivery

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (CEO Yoo Sangcheol) has signed a construction contract with a European shipowner for two 7,900 TEU-class eco-friendly container ships, totaling $220 million.

This contract includes an option for the shipowner to order two additional vessels in the future, raising expectations for further orders. If the option for the two additional vessels is exercised, the total contract amount will increase to approximately KRW 600 billion.

The vessels ordered by HJ Shipbuilding & Construction are 272 meters long, 42.8 meters wide, and have a service speed of 22 knots. These 7,900 TEU-class container carriers feature state-of-the-art specifications and eco-friendly designs. They will be built at the Busan Yeongdo Shipyard and are scheduled for sequential delivery starting in 2026.

The container ships ordered this time are characterized by maximizing fuel efficiency and container capacity while being equipped with eco-friendly facilities, fully complying with various environmental regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). To meet the IMO’s strengthened sulfur oxide (SOx) regulations, the vessels will be equipped with SOx scrubbers. They will also be built as methanol-ready ships, allowing conversion to carbon-neutral operations in the future by using methanol as fuel.

Recognized as a world leader in the container ship sector, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has built trust in the global market through its technological competitiveness. In 2022, the company received Approval in Principle from Lloyd's Register (LR) in the UK for the basic design of a 7,700 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel container ship, and in the same year, secured orders for two vessels of the same type based on this technological recognition.

It is reported that inquiries from global shipowners have surged, driven by market recovery and HJ Shipbuilding & Construction’s eco-friendly ship technology. Last month, the company completed a construction project for six 5,500 TEU-class eco-friendly container ships, worth $410 million, which had been ordered between 2021 and 2022.

Recently, through joint research with Finland’s W?rtsil?, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction succeeded in developing an “8,500 TEU-class container ship with carbon capture and storage,” which can capture, store, and unload carbon dioxide emitted from ships, focusing on securing eco-friendly ship technologies that can accelerate carbon neutrality.

An HJ Shipbuilding & Construction official stated, “This contract is the result of our focus on developing and securing orders for eco-friendly, high value-added vessels that can lead market trends,” adding, “We will meet the expectations of shipowners and repay their trust by ensuring high-quality vessels and on-time delivery.”

HJ Heavy Industries Container Ship.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.