HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard is operating at full capacity with container ships, gas carriers and naval vessels under construction, reports Seoul's Maeil Business Newspaper.

In the first dock, a 15,500-TEU ship ordered by a Taiwanese owner is being built, while the second dock hosts 88,000 cubic metre LPG carriers and super-large ammonia carriers for European clients. The one million ton three-dock, measuring 672 metres by 92 metres, currently accommodates five ships including LNG and LPG carriers.

The shipyard is the world's largest single facility, with 14 drydocks and 10 Goliath cranes across 1.46 million pyeong. About 100 ships are built annually, accounting for more than 15 per cent of the global market. Productivity is driven by simultaneous construction and a comprehensive engineering system integrating design, propulsion and fuel supply.

Yoon Sang-sik, an executive overseeing design, said performance created in design must be implemented without compromise at the production site to ensure fuel efficiency, quality and delivery. The production line is structured around crane capacity and block movement, maintaining a set rhythm akin to a factory system.

The approach has delivered results, with 24 of 40 ships completed ahead of schedule. About 30 per cent of vessels under construction are subject to HI-TRUST, an independent inspection system delegated by shipowners. The yard has built 2,630 ships since 1972, achieving a record 5,000 cumulative deliveries.

Starting with the 260,000-ton supertanker Atlantic Barron in 1974, Hyund's portfolio has expanded to naval vessels. Its 5,000th ship was the Philippine patrol vessel Diego Sillang. The company is the only Korean builder to design Aegis ships and has constructed all Ulsan-class frigates and Aegis destroyers King Sejong and King Jeongjo.

https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9260100000114