HD Hyundai announced the launch of a strategic shipbuilding collaboration in the United States centered on Tampa Ship, a major U.S. shipyard operating within the Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) family of companies, to construct containerships in the United States.
HD Hyundai has announced that it recently held a signing ceremony with U.S.-based Tampa Ship LLC, a company within the Edison Chouest Offshore family of affiliated companies, to establish a strategic and comprehensive collaboration that outlines a multi-faceted alliance to build medium-sized LNG dual-fuel containerships at Tampa Ship, with first deliveries targeted for 2028.
As part of the collaboration, HD Hyundai will provide critical support to Tampa Ship in vessel design, procurement of specialized equipment, and transfer of advanced shipbuilding technology. HD Hyundai will also participate in the fabrication of certain ship blocks and invest in key technical infrastructure to enhance the capability of Tampa Ship.
Tampa Ship, located in Tampa, Florida, has a long legacy in U.S. shipbuilding and is one of five shipyards operated by ECO across the country. Through this initiative, Tampa Ship is positioned to help address the shortage of domestically constructed vessels.
According to Clarksons Research, U.S. yards received orders for only three 3,600 TEU-class containerships between 2022 and 2024. This collaboration between HD Hyundai and Tampa Ship aims to address this gap and re-establish the United States as a competitive force in the global shipbuilding industry.
Through this collaboration, the parties also expressed intent to explore further opportunities beyond commercial containerships, including collaboration on other potential fleet classes as well as heavy industrial port equipment, which are all integral to maritime security and domestic infrastructure resilience.
This initiative follows HD Hyundai's ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with U.S. maritime and defense stakeholders. Earlier this year, the company entered into agreements with Huntington Ingalls Industries and Fairbanks Morse Defense, and continues to support academic partnerships, including with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University, to foster future talent in naval architecture and marine engineering.
