HD Hyundai Samho strengthens quay walls

[Courtesy of HD Hyundai Co.]

HD Hyundai Samho Co., a subsidiary of HD Hyundai Co., expanded its quay walls to boost production efficiency as orders for high-value, eco-friendly vessels continue to increase.

HD Hyundai Samho celebrated the completion of the new quay wall on Wednesday, with key figures including HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap, South Jeolla Province Vice Governor Myung Chang-hwan, and Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul in attendance. Unlike standard quay walls, the new structure features a protruding design connected by pillar-shaped installations adjacent to the shore, allowing docking on both sides and significantly maximizing berth efficiency. Construction of the facility began in July 2023.

The new quay wall spans 530 meters, including the connecting roads, and is equipped with two large cranes to support shipbuilding activities. It can accommodate up to four ultra-large vessels, or two on each side. With this addition, the total length of HD Hyundai Samho‘s quay walls now extends to 3.6 kilometers, increasing the simultaneous docking capacity to 18 ships from 14.

This expansion enables HD Hyundai Samho to maximize production efficiency for its liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers on order. HD Hyundai Samho had an order backlog of 46 LNG carriers as of May 2024, or about two-thirds of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.’s 68. However, with only three docks compared to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries‘ ten, there was a significant need to enhance production efficiency. The expanded quay wall will allow HD Hyundai Samho to expedite the production of eco-friendly ships, such as LNG carriers, which require over twice as much work time at quay walls as conventional ships.

“The completion of the new quay wall provides HD Hyundai Samho with additional momentum to lead the eco-friendly ship market,” Kwon said.