DSME delivers 2nd 24,000 TEU behemoth, featuring smart ship technology, to HMM

South Korean shipbuilding major Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has delivered HMM Copenhagen, its second 24,000 TEU containership from a batch of twelve units, to the compatriot shipping company HMM.

The newbuilding joins its sister ship HMM Algeciras in taking the title of the world’s largest containerships based on carrying capacity.

HMM Copenhagen is equipped with DSME’s Smart Ship Platform (DS4®), a fleet monitoring smart ECDIS and surveillance system.

The system received Digital AL3 SAFE SECURITY descriptive note from Lloyd’s Register back in 2019, which means that systems with digitally-enabled functions have adequate resilience measures in place to protect against cyber-attacks or other unauthorised access.   

The solution, which is installed on 7 large containerships, enables the owners to remotely diagnose the status of the major systems onboard such as the main engine, air conditioning and reefers to support optimal performance. The giant containership is also equipped with a Smart Navigation system that proposes the optimal route for the ship’s voyage, saving time and money.

In order to meet the IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap, the ship has been installed with a scrubber and is LNG-ready.

DSME is building seven 24,000 TEU containerships for HMM, which are set for delivery by the third quarter of this year. Once delivered, they will be deployed on Asia-North European trades operated by THE Alliance.

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is building the remaining five 24,000 containerships from the batch, ordered in 2018.

The delivery is being reported at a very challenging period for the shipbuilding sector due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has quashed owners’ appetite for newbuilding orders as they cut costs and investments.

However, DSME has been holding pretty steady during the period, mostly due to increasing sales of LNG ships and other high-value vessels.

For the first quarter of 2020, DSME reported sales of KRW 1.95 trillion ($1.5 billion), operating profit of KRW 297.9 billion, and net income of KRW 252.5 billion. Operating profit and net profit increased 39.8% and 24.2%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.