South Korea’s flagship carrier HMM has signed a new shipbuilding order with China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s subsidiary Huangpu Wenchong for four 38,000-ton multi-purpose heavy-lift ships.
Designed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI), the vessels will be equipped with advanced features, including three cargo holds, a combination of hydraulic folding hatch covers and hoisting hatch covers, as well as an array of cranes including 2 sets of 400-ton and 1 set of 200-ton cranes.
The ships are also designed with sustainability in mind. Namely, they will be fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) in compliance with the IMO 2020 regulation aimed at cutting global sulfur emissions from ships that came into effect in 2020. The vessels will also be equipped with energy-saving devices including bulbous bows and deflector fins.
The versatile design of these ships positions them as indispensable assets for transporting a diverse range of cargo types, from dry bulk and oversized cargo to containers and hazardous materials.
The collaboration between Huangpu Wenchong and HMM comes at a time of burgeoning demand for heavy-lift ships in the global market. As shipping companies seek more specialized and customized solutions, the need for heavy-lift ships capable of handling substantial loads with precision has grown exponentially.