In July 2024, the South Korean shipyard Hanwha Ocean signed a Master Ship Repair Agreement with the US Naval Supply Systems Command to expand both its maintenance business and its relationship with the US Navy. And the US Navy is relying on these capabilities to mitigate its own lack of shipyard capacity, personnel shortages and cost and distance issues in its maintenance programmes. Marineforum reported on this in November 2024: "South Korea - another order for the US Navy".
Hanwha Ocean has now completed an extensive refurbishment project for USNS "Wally Schirra". The 40,000-tonne Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship belongs to the Military Sealift Command and had been at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Geoje since August 2024. This overhaul was a first for a US government ship in a South Korean shipyard.
The work included the overhaul of the hull and machinery, inspections and replacement of larger systems as well as modernisation of systems.
The shipyard had identified additional measures to improve the ship's operation and was able to successfully implement these via an approved addendum. Replacing the damaged rudder was a challenge. As no construction plans were available, the old rudder was measured and "simply" rebuilt. A highlight for the Hanwha engineers. Hats off!
This saved time and resources. All in all, a good testament to the company's advanced automation systems and skilled employees. The "Wally Schirra" left South Korea on 12 March.
Hanwha Ocean is currently working on a second project, the tanker USNS "Yukon", which arrived at the shipyard in November 2024. The Henry J. Kaiser-class vessel (31,200 tonnes) is due to complete all the commissioned maintenance work at the South Korean shipyard in the coming weeks.
Hanwha Ocean explained that the shipyard also involves small and medium-sized shipbuilding companies in the Geoje region as subcontractors in order to share the economic benefits with the entire industry. According to the shipyard, it is aiming for five to six such maintenance contracts in 2025.
Short distances for the USA, value creation at its best for South Korea.
kdk, Maritime Executive
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