HD Hyundai Celebrates 5,000th Vessel—and a $1.5B Containership Deal

South Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai has become the first shipbuilder in the world to deliver 5,000 vessels, marking a historic milestone half a century after delivering its first ship in 1974.

The achievement came with the recent delivery of the Philippine patrol vessel Diego Silang, capping a 50-year journey that began with the 260,000-ton supertanker Atlantic Baron. Over this period, HD Hyundai has delivered vessels to approximately 700 shipowners across 68 countries.

The company’s three main shipyards contributed to the record: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered 2,631 vessels, HD Hyundai Mipo 1,570 vessels, and HD Hyundai Samho 799 vessels. The milestone is particularly notable as it surpasses achievements by European and Japanese shipbuilders despite their longer maritime histories.

In a separate development, HD Hyundai has secured a significant contract worth approximately $1.46 billion from HMM for eight ultra-large containerships, representing the largest container ship order volume in 18 years since the 2007 shipbuilding supercycle.

The order, placed through HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), is for eight 13,400-TEU dual-fuel containerships measuring 337 meters in length, 51 meters in width, and 27.9 meters in height. The vessels feature LNG dual-fuel engines and fuel tanks expanded by approximately 50% to enhance operational efficiency.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will build two of the vessels, while HD Hyundai Samho will construct the remaining six, with deliveries scheduled consecutively through the first half of 2029.

With this contract, HD KSOE has secured orders for 720,000 TEU across 69 containership vessels this year, marking the highest order volume among Korean shipbuilders.

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