|
Korean shipbuilders are the no.1 in the world not only in terms of the number of ships they produce and the value of orders but also in terms of creating whole new concepts with their superior design capability. They include ice-breaking tankers, floating gas supply stations and vessels capable of carrying 10,000 containers.
Ice-breaking tankers
 |
|
An ice-breaking tanker developed by Samsung Heavy Industries.
|
 |
|
The Arctic Ocean is mostly covered with ice, but underneath lie some 1.5 trillion barrels of crude oil, enough for the entire world population for 60 years, and some 48 trillion cubic meters of gas, about half of the global gas reserves. But even if that abundant natural resource is extracted, the challenge is to transport it. Samsung Heavy Industries has developed a multi-directional ice-breaking tanker that does away with the need for two separate vessels. It can break ice up to 1.57 m thick at temperatures of -45 degrees Celsius and sail at a speed of 5.5 km/h. If it is trapped by icebergs, it can move around in all directions to find a way out. The breakthrough was possible thanks to Samsung's cutting-edge technologies, such as the world's lowest design temperatures, the world's best ice-breaking capability in all directions and special paint technology to fight abrasion. The tanker is more than four times as expensive than ordinary containers, but Russia's largest state-run shipping agent Sovcomflot ordered three 70,000-ton class tankers from Samsung. The Russian government wants access to the technology and offered Samsung Heavy Industries a partnership with one of its state-run shipbuilders. A whopping 38 ice-breaking tankers are expected to be ordered by 2012, generating huge profits.
Regasification vessels
 |
|
The world's first Liquefied Natural Gas Regasification Vessel that Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering produced.
|
|
|
A Liquefied Natural Gas Regasification Vessel created by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering is a whole new concept that moves unwieldy gas supply stations onto a ship. The first LNG-RV Daewoo produced for a U.S. energy company successfully supplied energy to New Orleans when it was inundated by hurricane Katrina in August last year while other ships were destroyed. An LNG-RV costs US$280 million or W260 billion.
 |
|
An 11,400 TEU container vessel that is to be produced by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the first time in the world. It can carry 11,400 20-ft containers.
|
|
|
Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's biggest shipbuilder, has meanwhile won a contract to build eight 11,400 TEU containerships that can carry 11,400 20-ft containers each from France in September. Despite its size, the ship can sail at a speed of 45.7 km/h thanks to its 98,000 horsepower engine.
When it comes to LNG vessels that cost more than $200 million per unit, Korean shipbuilders accounted for 78.3 percent of the global market or 157 of all orders over the last four years. Of that, Samsung Heavy Industries has 50 or 31.9 percent. Among deepwater drill ships that are able to drill crude oil 10 km below the sea, Samsung Heavy Industries won contracts for 14 or 56 percent of the 25 ordered so far and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering three or 12 percent. Korean shipbuilders produce 14 or 53.8 percent of the 26 floating production storage offloading vessels in the world. "Every high value added vessel that Korean shipbuilders make boasts cutting-edge technology and new design,Ħħ a Samsung Heavy Industries spokesman said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
