HD Hyundai supports Edison Chouest in building LNG-dual fuel containership in US
South Korean conglomerate has partnered with the US-based company Edison Chouest Offshore to jointly construct medium-sized LNG dual-fuel containerships by 2028
The alliance aims to boost US shipbuilding competitiveness and support the recovery of its maritime industry through technical collaboration rather than direct acquisition
SOUTH Korea’s HD Hyundai and Louisiana-based shipbuilder Edison Chouest Offshore have formed a strategic partnership aimed at building medium-sized liquefied natural gas dual-fuel containerships in the US by 2028.
Under the agreement, HD Hyundai will provide vessel designs, procure equipment, and manufacture and supply some ship blocks. The partnership also includes investment in technical assets to support the project.
ECO operates five commercial shipyards in the US and manages a fleet of 300 offshore support vessels, all constructed by the company itself.
The collaboration may expand beyond containerships to include additional vessel types and port cranes — equipment considered critical to US national security.
HD Hyundai said it entered into the partnership at ECO’s request to expand its business in the US and strengthen collaboration with American companies.
Both firms believe the alliance could significantly boost US competitiveness in the global merchant shipbuilding sector.
US shipbuilders have lagged in new orders for merchant vessels. According to Clarksons, just three 3,600 teu containerships were contracted with domestic owners between 2022 and 2024.
“Through our co-operation with ECO, we will actively support the reconstruction of the US shipbuilding industry and its efforts to enhance security,” HD Hyundai said.
The initiative is part of HD Hyundai’s broader strategy to deepen ties with the US maritime sector. In April 2025, the company formed a naval alliance with Huntington Ingalls Industries, America’s largest defense shipbuilder, to improve productivity and foster technological co-operation.
During the same month, HD Hyundai also reached an agreement with Fairbanks Morse Defense to explore future collaboration on international naval projects.
This approach contrasts with that of the Hanwha Group, which acquired US-based Philly Shipyard from Aker for $100m in December 2024 and rebranded it Hanwha Philly Shipyard.
“HD Hyundai is regarded as having taken a more cautious approach by partnering with local shipyards with the capacity to build ships and helping them to recover, rather than acquiring them, which would require significant investment,” said Yang Jong-seo, a senior researcher at the Overseas Economic Research Institute of the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
