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HD Hyundai books $1.4 billion shipbuilding order, largest since 2007

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 17:20 Updated: 24 Nov. 2025, 17:43

A 13,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container ship built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and delivered in 2024 [HD HYUNDAI]

HD Hyundai has secured an order for eight ultra-large container ships worth 2.13 trillion won ($1.4 billion), marking its strongest order booking since the shipbuilding boom of 2007.

The group’s shipbuilding intermediary, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, announced Monday that it signed a construction contract with Korea-based shipping company HMM for eight 13,400 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessels.

Each vessel will measure 337 meters (1,106 feet) in length, 51 meters in width and 27.9 meters in height. They will be equipped with LNG dual-fuel propulsion engines and large fuel tanks to maximize operational efficiency. Two of the ships will be built at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and six at HD Hyundai Samho, with deliveries scheduled sequentially through the first half of 2029.

With this latest contract, HD Hyundai’s container ship orders for 2025 now total 69 vessels with a combined capacity of 720,000 TEUs — its second-highest annual total after its record of 793,473 TEUs and 102 vessels, booked in 2007.

HD Hyundai ships typically cost 20 to 30 percent more than those of Chinese competitors, but are favored by major shipping lines for their verified fuel efficiency, performance and safety.

“Our differentiated technology and customer trust are solidifying our position in the global market,” an HD Hyundai official said. “We will continue to lead the decarbonization of the shipbuilding and maritime industries through high-efficiency, environmentally friendly vessels.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM HYO-SEONG [[email protected]]