HANJIN HEAVY INDUSTRIES

- Strengthens synergies between the two shipbuilders and expands collaboration across the regional shipbuilding industry by outsourcing deckhouse block construction

- Deckhouse Lighting-up Ceremony 
(Back row, from left: 11th, Yoo Sang-cheol, CEO of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction; 12th, M.C. KWON, CEO of DAESUN Shipbuilding & Engineering)

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) has outsourced the production of deckhouses for its vessels to DAESUN Shipbuilding & Engineering, marking the first time the two Busan-based mid-sized shipbuilders have partnered on deckhouse construction.

HJSC announced that it is commissioning DAESUN to build the deckhouse blocks for eight 7,900-TEU eco-friendly container ships previously ordered by a European shipowner.

A deckhouse is a key superstructure of a vessel, housing the bridge, navigation equipment, crew cabins, offices, and welfare facilities. Around 30 crew members work and live in this space during long voyages. While deckhouse size varies depending on vessel type and scale, the deckhouses ordered by HJSC are comparable in size to a 10-story building.

Unlike most ship blocks, which are designed primarily for production and functional efficiencies, deckhouses must also consider navigational efficiency and crew comfort. 

In particular, deckhouses are among the most complex ship structures, as they house high-value navigation and communication equipment such as control systems, radar, gyrocompasses, and GPS, along with extensive piping and cabling.

HJSC has traditionally built deckhouses in-house. However, as its Yeongdo Shipyard has reached capacity due to increased construction of special-purpose vessels such as eco-friendly commercial ships and naval vessels, and the addition of U.S. Navy MRO projects, the multinational shipbuilder decided to outsource deckhouse production to focus on core operations and enhance production flexibility. DAESUN was selected based on its proven expertise in deckhouse construction.

Of the eight deckhouses ordered last year, the first block was delivered last month following a lighting-up ceremony combined with a quality inspection. The ceremony is a standard verification process to confirm that electrical, instrumentation, power supply systems, and key equipment operate safely and as designed.

An HJSC official remarked, “This outsourcing arrangement is expected to create a win-win outcome, supporting revenue growth for both companies, strengthening the shipbuilding ecosystem, and delivering broader benefits to the regional economy.” He added, “Going forward, we plan to further expand cooperation by utilizing regional supply chains to maximize shared growth and synergy.