HD Hyundai Samho is advancing the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation project, known as MASGA, through its port crane business in the United States.
On July 26, HD Hyundai announced that it has signed a contract to supply four port cranes to Washington United Terminals (WUT).
This supply contract is part of a terminal modernization project aimed at replacing aging cranes at WUT, a U.S. subsidiary of South Korea's largest shipping company, HMM, and expanding the capacity for large container ships.
Currently, WUT operates a total of eight dock cranes at Tacoma Port in Washington state. Dock cranes are responsible for loading and unloading containers from ships at the port. Among these, four cranes were supplied by HD Hyundai Samho in 1999, and this project will replace two of those aging dock cranes with new equipment.
Additionally, the project includes the installation of two new yard cranes to load and unload containers onto vehicles within the terminal. Both companies expect this initiative to enhance port handling competitiveness, increase capacity for large vessels, and improve operational stability.
To achieve this, HD Hyundai Samho will undertake the entire process of designing, manufacturing, transporting, installing, and commissioning the two dock cranes and two yard cranes on a turnkey basis, with all equipment scheduled for delivery by 2028.
Notably, these cranes will utilize high-quality steel produced by POSCO. The project is expected to consolidate the technological capabilities of key domestic industries, including shipbuilding, ports, and steel, thereby contributing to the strengthening of South Korea's core industrial capabilities.
An official from HD Hyundai Samho stated, "The order for port cranes at Tacoma Port is a significant achievement that recognizes our technological expertise and quality competitiveness accumulated through various domestic and international projects. We will support the MASGA project successfully through the development of eco-friendly and efficient port equipment."
Meanwhile, on July 14, HD Hyundai Samho announced a partnership with KT and Samsung Electronics to establish a self-operating network that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and address communication network failures.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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