South Korea’s HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) has handed over the first of two 7,700 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container vessels chartered to compatriot shipping company HMM.
As informed, the delivery and signing ceremony took place at the Yeongdo Shipyard on January 22, 2025.
According to data by London-based VesselsValue, the 83,600 dwt newbuilding and its sister vessel were ordered en bloc in June 2022 by the U.S.-listed Greek dry cargo vessel owner and operator Navios Maritime Partners. The boxship measures 282 meters in length and boasts a draft of 42,8 meters and a beam of 15 meters. It was christened HMM Ocean together with its sister vessel, which was named HMM Sky, in November 2024.
It is understood that the Liberia-flagged Post Panamax is outfitted with a Mark III membrane-type fuel tank—the same technology found in LNG carriers’ cargo tanks—made by French technological containment specialist Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), offering a storage capacity of 6,100 cubic meters.
According to HJSC, the unit is fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) also known as scrubbers, and was built to comply with the sulfur oxide (SOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Since re-entering the commercial shipping market in 2021 following an M&A process upon which it rebranded from HANJIN Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC) to HJSC, the South Korean shipbuilding player has delivered an array of alternative fuel-powered vessels, including six 5,500 TEU methanol-ready boxships: the 255 meter-long duo ZIM Danube and ZIM Ganges, the 255-meter long ZIM Yangtze, the Madeira-flagged Mississippi (formerly ZIM Mississippi), as well as the Colorado and Mackenzie.
In the wake of the most recent delivery of HMM Ocean and the up-and-coming handover date of the sister vessel, HJSC is slowly gearing up to turn over an octet of 7,900 TEU container vessels.
Four of these ships are understood to be slated for delivery between June 2026 and February 2027 with Navios Maritime as their commercial owner. The other quartet—believed to be set to go under the commercial control of Greek company TMS Dry—is expected to be handed over between July 2026 and June 2027, as per information from VesselsValue.
What is more, as per current data, HJSC is also projected to make two more container vessel deliveries by the end of this year; namely, in November and December 2025, respectively, the South Korean player is anticipated to turn over a 282-meter-long methanol-ready duo to HMM.
