According to Hanwha Ocean on Tuesday, CEO Kim Hee-cheol recently visited Halifax, Canada, where he met with Premier of Nova Scotia Tim Houston and other provincial officials to explore potential collaboration for the submarine program.
The talks covered defense readiness, MRO capabilities, workforce development and industrial infrastructure, as Hanwha Ocean shared its long-term strategy for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP).
Kim also met with Dirk Lesko, president of Irving Shipbuilding, Canada’s largest shipyard, to discuss cooperation aimed at enhancing the Royal Canadian Navy’s sovereign submarine capabilities.
“We will continue to enhance our competitiveness by working closely with Canadian industry and government to build a sustainable, Canada-centered submarine operational ecosystem,” Kim said.
Hanwha Ocean has also been expanding partnerships with local companies as part of its bid for the CPSP.
The company signed a teaming agreement with PCL Construction last week, one of Canada’s largest construction firms, to jointly develop submarine-related infrastructure. The deal follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies in November last year.
Industry sources said the partnership is part of Hanwha Ocean’s strategy to shorten delivery timelines and strengthen localization as it competes with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in the final stage of the bid.
According to industry officials, Hanwha Ocean also recently formed partnerships with five Canadian firms — OSI Maritime Systems, EMCS Industries, Techsol Marine, Jastram Technologies and Curtiss-Wright — to strengthen its local industrial base for the CPSP.
Such local partnerships are considered critical, as Canada places strong emphasis on industrial and economic contributions in the bidding process.
Analysts say the competition between Hanwha Ocean and TKMS could ultimately hinge on these factors, given both companies’ advanced submarine capabilities.
Canada’s CPSP involves the procurement of up to 12 diesel-electric submarines of around 3,000 tons. The contract value alone is estimated at $13.5 billion, while the total project size, including 30 years of MRO, could reach around $40 billion.
A consortium of Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is currently competing against Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), with the final selection expected around June.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
