HHI to build ships on land

Hyundai Heavy Industries will build a 105,000DWT tanker on land this year, the first time this has been done in the history of shipbuilding. HHI has surprised many of its competing shipyards by announcing that it has developed a method of constructing ships on land and was prepared to begin building ships using this new method very soon. The new method will allow large-sized ships to be built on land rather than in a dock, completely disproving the preconceived notion that ships can only be built and launched from docks.

The new on-ground shipbuilding methodology involves building mega-sized blocks, lifting these blocks by cranes, referred to as ?super lifting?, joining them together and skidding the completed hull onto a barge lying alongside a quay. The vessel is subsequently launched by submerging the barge. HHI, having applied this method for building a 340,000DWT FSO and two semi-submersible rigs, has virtually completed the ?trial test? of this new method.

What this means in practice is that, compared to traditional shipbuilding method, the on-ground method shortens construction time by three to four months while creating a safer working environment. Considering that offshore and industrial plant market is expected to remain stagnant while shipbuilding market is forecast to pick up for the next two to three years, HHI has decided to adopt this new construction method now and upgrade its production capacity accordingly. It will have the effect of offsetting the stagnant orders in offshore and industrial plant areas by improving the utilization of production facilities.