HANJIN HEAVY INDUSTRIES

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) held a christening ceremony for a 7,900-TEU container ship at its Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan on May 14.

■ Group Photo – HJSC CEO Yoo Sang-cheol (fourth from the right in the front row), Vice Chairman of Navios Maritime, Shunji Sasada (sixth from the right)

The event was attended by around 50 guests, including Shunji Sasada, Vice Chairman of Greece-based shipowner Navios Maritime, HJSC CEO Yoo Sang-cheol, and representatives from the chartering company and the shipyard. The vessel was officially named “NAVIOS CYAN.”

The ship is the first of the 7,900-TEU container vessels that HJSC secured in 2024. At the time, the multinational shipbuilder won an initial order for two vessels, and the total contract later increased to four after the shipowner exercised options for two additional ships. All four vessels will be built and delivered sequentially at HJSC’s Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan.

HJSC resumed commercial shipbuilding in 2012 with an order for six 5,500-TEU container ships. Since then, the global shipbuilder has steadily expanded its track record in eco-friendly vessel construction, including 7,700-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships, 9,000-TEU methanol dual-fuel vessels, and now this 7,900-TEU model.

In particular, the South Korean shipbuilding company delivered this vessel more than two months ahead of schedule, once again demonstrating its stable project management and high-quality shipbuilding capabilities to both the shipowner and the charterer.

By building eco-friendly vessels tailored to customer demand while maximizing container loading capacity, HJSC continues to strengthen its competitiveness in the market. This vessel is also equipped with a scrubber system to meet environmental regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and it is designed to be converted to methanol fuel in the future to support carbon neutrality goals. In addition, the ship was built using advanced 3D hull design technology to maximize container capacity.

HJSC plans to continue developing eco-friendly ship technologies while expanding its presence in the 6,000- to 10,000-TEU container ship market with vessels designed to meet carbon neutrality requirements.

■ Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony – HJSC CEO Yoo Sang-cheol (second from the right), Vice Chairman of Navios Maritime, Shunji Sasada (third from the right)

CEO Yoo Sang-cheol stated, “This container ship incorporates a range of eco-friendly options to help the shipowner respond proactively to changes in the market.” He added, “We will continue to build a strong track record by delivering high-quality vessels that meet both customer expectations and increasingly stringent environmental regulations, while strengthening our position as a specialized builder of eco-friendly ships.”