HD Hyundai and Edison Chouest Offshore Launch U.S. Containership Construction Partnership
South Korea’s shipbuilding leader HD Hyundai has signed a strategic agreement with U.S.-based Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) to begin the construction of commercial vessels in the United States. The partnership was formalized on June 20 at ECO’s headquarters in New Orleans.
At the heart of this collaboration is the design and construction of dual-fuel (LNG and conventional) containerships, a new market segment for ECO. The initiative comes at a crucial time, as American shipyards have received few commercial ship orders in recent years—despite federal efforts to rebuild the U.S.-flag fleet. According to Clarkson Research, from 2022 to 2024, U.S. yards secured just three orders for 3,600 TEU-class containerships, all placed with Philly Shipyard.
ECO, which operates five commercial shipyards across the U.S. and manages a fleet of over 300 offshore support vessels (OSVs), recently enhanced its capabilities by forming the United Shipbuilding Alliance (USA) with Bollinger Shipyard, the largest privately owned shipbuilder in the country, known for its work on U.S. icebreakers.
Under the new partnership, HD Hyundai will provide comprehensive technical support, including ship design, equipment sourcing, construction technologies, and partial production of ship blocks. The initial goal is to deliver a series of mid-sized containerships by 2028, with plans to expand into icebreakers, military vessels, and heavy-lift cranes.
A representative from HD Hyundai stated:
“The United States is a strong ally and a key strategic partner. Through our collaboration with ECO, we aim to actively support America’s efforts to revitalize its shipbuilding industry and strengthen national security.”
This partnership is the latest in HD Hyundai’s growing investment in U.S.–Korea maritime collaboration, following recent agreements with Huntington Ingalls Industries and Fairbanks Morse Defense, as well as educational partnerships with the University of Michigan and Seoul National University to train the next generation of shipbuilding professionals.
