HMM, formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine, has taken delivery of its 11th large container ship this year, marking a significant milestone in the company’s fleet expansion plan.
The 13,000 TEU-class vessel, which was part of a 12-ship order placed midway through 2021, leaves just one more ship to be delivered.
The newly delivered vessel, named ‘HMM Opal’, is set to begin service soon. The ship will be deployed on the Pacific South Express (PSC) route, which serves the West Coast of the United States.
In June 2021, HMM placed orders for six container ships each with Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, totaling 12 ships.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries completed its portion of the contract earlier this year. With HMM Opal now delivered; Hanwha Ocean is in the process of building the final vessel in the series.
HMM’s decision to place a large-scale order for eco-friendly container ships was made in the midst of the global logistics crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
This move aimed to strengthen the company’s competitiveness in the green shipping sector and diversify its fleet.
The first ship from this series, ‘HMM Garnet,’ constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, was delivered earlier this year. Once the final vessel is completed, HMM’s total fleet capacity will expand to approximately 1 million TEU.
With ultra-large container ships of over 10,000 TEU accounting for more than 80 percent of HMM’s fleet capacity, the Seoul-based company expects to significantly improve both cost competitiveness and operational efficiency.
This scale of fleet expansion is unprecedented in the global shipping industry and positions HMM as a leader in eco-friendly, large-capacity shipping.
