OCTOBER 6, 2013—Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), Yeongam, South Korea, a shipbuilding affiliate of Hyundai Heavy Industries, announced it successfully launched the Golar Glacier, a 162,000 m3 LNG carrier built using the on-ground shipbuilding method.  

 The LNG carrier was contracted for by Norway's Golar LNG Limited in February 2012 as part of a two-ship order. At the time, the company, which is chaired by John Fredriksen, said the two ships contracted for would cost a total of about $400 million. As with Golar's other newbuildings, the 162,000 m3 LNG ships will be delivered with tri-fuel diesel-electric engines. The new engines will be more fuel efficient and will also have lower emission levels of pollutants and CO2.

The Golar Glacier measures 289.0 m in length, 45.6 m in width, and 26.0 m in depth and is scheduled to be delivered to Golar by late July 2014, after outfitting and painting work.  Sister ship Golar Kelvin will be delivered in October 2014. Both ships are expected to be flagged under the Marshall Islands and managed by Golar Wilhelmsen.

After about 270 large blocks, LNG containment system, an engine, a propeller are manufactured and assembled in the on-land shipbuilding area, which is equipped with a 1,200-tonne gantry crane, four jib cranes and a floating dock. The assembled LNG carrier is then loaded out onto a floating dock by hydraulic skidding, and launched out by submerging the floating dock. 

Though this is the first LNG carrier built by Hyundai Samho using the on-ground method, HHI has built 50 other ships using this method since May 2008.

Since on-ground shipbuilding method allows higher productivity and cost effectiveness, facilitates efficient utilization of yard facilities and resources, and improves the safety of working conditions, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries plans to build 10 of 12 LNG carriers in its order book using this method.