September 08, 2024

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HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap (second from right, front) and company and city officials look around its second dolphin quay at the completion ceremony at HD Hyundai Samho yard in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Wednesday. (HD Hyundai)

HD Hyundai Samho, a shipbuilding division of HD Hyundai, said Wednesday it extended its vessel berthing facility to accommodate rising orders for high-value, eco-friendly ships.

The company held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of its second dolphin quay earlier in the day at its shipyard in Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province. HD Hyundai Chairman Kwon Oh-gap and HD Hyundai Samho CEO Shin Hyun-dai joined the event, along with Mokpo Mayor Park Hong-ryul and Yeongam-gun's head, Woo Seung-hee.

A dolphin quay is a type of quay that features robust pillar-like structures installed in the sea adjacent to the land. Compared to conventional quays, dolphin quays significantly enhance efficiency by allowing ships to dock on either side of it.

Construction of this second dolphin quay commenced in July last year to address the growing demand for eco-friendly ships, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, which require up to twice as much berthing time as standard vessels.

"With the completion of the second dolphin quay, HD Hyundai Samho has gained additional momentum to lead the eco-friendly ship market,” Chairman Kwon stated.

“It is crucial to maximize construction of high-value eco-friendly ships, in order to grow into key enterprise within southwest region."

Spanning a total length of 530 meters, including connecting roads, the newly completed dolphin quay is equipped with two large cranes to support shipbuilding operations and can accommodate up to four super-large vessels, two on each side.

This expansion extends HD Hyundai Samho’s total berthing facilities to 3.6 kilometers, boosting its simultaneous berthing capacity by 28.6 percent, from 14 to 18 vessels.

The investment is expected to alleviate production bottlenecks and enhance capacity to build eco-friendly ships, while also reducing the financial burden of leasing nearby port facilities.

By Park Se-ra (serap1005@heraldcorp.com)