HHI Plant Sector Shows off
Tech Prowess
- Dream comes true at remote stretch of beach

It seemed to be just a dream to construct a world-class shipyard three decades ago on an empty stretch of a beach. But such dream came true with Hyundai Heavy Industries (Vice Chairman & CEO Min Keh-sik) having become the world's largest shipbuilder, making the nation the No.1 shipbuilding nation in only 10 years since the company's foundation.
Hyundai has grown into a world's major heavy industries firm since it entered from 1975 into the areas of sea plant, engineering machine, electric and electronic system and construction equipment based on its technologies accumulated through the shipbuilding affiliations.
Hyundai's Shipbuilding Division, since it built the first ship in 1974, has been supplying some 1,100 vessels to 205 ship-owners in 43 countries. Its performances include building of the world's largest 1 million ton-class dock plus nine other shipbuilding docks, ultra-sized goliath crane, ultra-sized LNG carrier and new-technology ship propelling system. The company has also been pushing for new-technology vessel propelling system, realizing high added values for tankers and building large-sized containers equivalent to more than 10,000 ton TEU based on optimized facility system and excellent designing and manufacturing manpower.
Its Offshore and Engineering Division has been carrying out projects for supply of more than 150 vessels ordered from over 30 companies from around the world like Exxon Mobile and British Petroleum and Shell.
In a differentiated facility investment, the company has installed the world's largest 1,500 ton-class goliath crane and developed the world's first FPSO and ground manufacturing of ships, thus leading the role in changing technology in world's shipbuilding industry.
Hyundai's plant sector possesses excellent technology power and construction capacity as the projector for power generation, desalination, engineering, procurement and construction of petroleum and gas plants. Prompted by the receipt of order for massive Aramko thermo plant from Saudi Arabia, the company has been obtaining high degree of trust from clients in Middle East and is expecting to see remarkable growth in plant area in the future.
The company's Engine & Machinery Division is the world's largest marine diesel engine builder with around 35 percent of global market share. The division will accomplish the accumulated production of 50 million bhp (brake horsepower) of low speed engines by May 2005, and also, 60 million bhp by August 2006. The division has annual engine production capacity of 8.5 million bhp for marine and stationary uses.
The division has developed the Korea's first in-house brand-new engine, Hyundai HiMSEN, which was named one of "Korea's Top Ten Technologies" in 2002. Its production lines encompass the entire marine propulsion system including crankshaft and marine propellers. The division provides automation and robotics system for the industrial field with the annual production of 1,000 robot units. It also produces diesel power plant, industrial robots, and heavy-duty industrial pumps, press, convey or system, and steel process line.
With state-of-the-art precision processing facilities including foundry and forging shops and the assembly and test run facilities, the division is a top contributor to enhancing competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry.
The Electro Electric Systems Division offers turnkey solutions in power industries covering design, engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of major electrical systems in power plants, substations, locomotives, subways, and marine vessels. The division's product line covers a wide range of electrical equipment such as gas insulated switchgears (GIS), transformers, high voltage circuit breakers, motors, generators, instrument & control systems, and power electronics.
The division positions itself as the largest manufacturer of marine generators in the world, dominating 40% of global market share. Through an international sales network, the division is maximizing sales of its quality products, and through collaboration with technically advanced research centers, it has developed new products and technology. To this effect, the division opened a joint-venture research center (HETC) with Enova Systems Inc. in California, US to produce electric vehicle equipment and distributed generation systems.
Since it began the business in 1985, the Construction Equipment Division has grown into a world class total construction equipment producer.
The division has developed 54 independent models of four types of construction equipment including excavators, wheel loaders, forklifts and skid steer loaders. The division has a manufacturing capacity of 19,000 units a year at its Ulsan factory in Korea and has three manufacturing plants in China with marketing bases in Chicago, Belgium, Columbia, Dubai and China.
Economically and ergonomically designed and with superb functions, HHI's construction equipment models are marketed through 412 authorized distributors in 90 countries. HHI has a vision to become a world top five supplier by 2010.
Ever since entering the Chinese market in 1995, the division witnessed its excavator sales rise to the top there for past three years, with 24% share of excavator market in China. In order to maintain the leading position in China, the division set up its third joint venture company in Jiangsu, China in 2004.
HHI's nuclear power division set up a business contract with Westinghouse of the Untied States for the production of equipments in Kori units 3 & 4 and Younggwang units 1 & 2.
It was the first time for the company to take part in the independent manufacturing of the nuclear power facilities. For the production of the NSSS facilities, the company acquired N, NPT stamping from the ASME in May, 1980 and is maintaining the status up until now.
The division has been actively taking part in manufacturing of transport tools and storage facilities for spent fuels since it first began production of steam generator and other main equipment of nuclear power plants from March, 1980.
Hyundai Heavy Industries is making strenuous efforts to raise the firm into a comprehensive heavy industry company equipped with state-of-the-art technology while efficiently coping with the rapidly changing business environment in the 21st century. nw