HMM has placed a landmark $1.46 billion order for eight ultra-large container vessels, marking HD Hyundai’s largest containership order in 18 years—since the 2007 shipbuilding supercycle.
The ships will be equipped with LNG dual-fuel engines and fuel tanks enlarged by about 50%, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. Of the eight vessels, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will construct two, while HD Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries will build the remaining six.
Each vessel will measure 337 meters in length, 51 meters in width, and 27.9 meters in height, with deliveries scheduled sequentially through the first half of 2029.
This major contract further strengthens the long-running partnership between HMM and HD Hyundai. It follows an order placed in October, when HMM contracted HD Hyundai Heavy and Hanwha Ocean to build twelve LNG dual-fuel containerships and two VLCCs in a deal worth KRW 4 trillion ($2.9 billion).
The order supports HMM’s broader strategy to acquire around 70 green vessels by 2030 and establish a carbon-neutral logistics ecosystem by 2045. The company has earmarked KRW 14.4 trillion for sustainable management initiatives, including low-carbon ships and green port infrastructure.
For HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), this adds to an exceptionally strong year—69 container ship orders totaling roughly 720,000 TEU in 2025, the highest among domestic shipbuilders.
HD Hyundai also recently celebrated a major milestone: becoming the first shipbuilder in the world to deliver 5,000 vessels since its inaugural delivery in 1974.