Edison Chouest, HD Hyundai Team Up to Bring Dual-Fuel Containership Construction to U.S.

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai has entered into a strategic partnership with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to construct commercial vessels in the United States.

The partnership, formalized at ECO’s New Orleans headquarters on Friday, focuses on building LNG dual-fuel containerships, which would be a new segment for ECO. The collaboration comes at a crucial time, as U.S. shipyards have seen limited commercial vessel orders in recent years, combined with a push in Washington to boost the U.S.-flagged fleet. According to Clarkson Research, U.S. facilities received orders for only three 3,600 TEU-class containerships from domestic shipping companies between 2022 and 2024, all of which were placed at Philly Shipyard.

ECO, which operates five commercial shipyards across the United States and maintains a fleet of 300 Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs), has recently strengthened its position by forming the United Shipbuilding Alliance (USA) with Bollinger Shipyard, the largest privately owned U.S. shipbuilding group, focussing on U.S. icebreaker construction.

Under the agreement, HD Hyundai will provide comprehensive support through ship design, equipment procurement, construction technology, and partial manufacturing of ship blocks. The partnership aims to complete medium-sized containership construction by 2028, with plans to expand into icebreakers, naval vessels, and cranes.

“The United States is a strong ally and an important business partner for us,” stated an HD Hyundai official. “Through our collaboration with ECO, we aim to actively support U.S. efforts to revitalize its shipbuilding industry and strengthen national security”.

This partnership represents HD Hyundai’s latest investment in U.S.-Korea maritime cooperation, following recent agreements with Huntington Ingalls Industries and Fairbanks Morse Defense. The company has also established educational partnerships with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University to develop future shipbuilding talent.

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