Korean Shipyards Bullish on Mega Vessels
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
May 18, 2015
As the construction of ultra large container ships gained momentum, Korean shipyards are sweeping up the market, according to a report appeared in Business Korea.
Total orders of 21 container ships exceeding 20,000 TEU in capacity were placed globally from the end of last year to date.
Korean shipyards - Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), the Philippines' Subic Shipyard of of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC), Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) - have won 19 of the orders, virtually sweeping the market.
Samsung is the first shipyard to win the orders of the most and the largest containers. The company received 10 orders, half of the total orders of container ships exceeding 20,000 TEU made in the world to date. Also, it is the first domestic shipyard to win the order for a 20,000 TEU container ship, and the largest vessel of 21,100 TEU.
HHIC’s Subic Shipyard is the second to win a 20,000 TEU ship order. The company was awarded the contract to build three ultra-large 20,600 TEU container ships from CMA CGM of France.
When Korea bagged 19 orders out of 21, Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding secured the other two orders.
