AsiaShipyardsTankers

VLCC delivery highlights Philippines’ emergence as a top shipbuilder

The Philippines has joined a very select club as a nation capable of building VLCCs, one of the cream of the crop when it comes to ship orders.

The Subic Bay affiliate of South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction has just delivered the first Philippine-made supertanker, the Gener8 Hector.

Chung Gwang-Suk, the new president of the Philippine yard, commented: “This vessel gives us enormous pride as it is the very first Philippine-made VLCC; hence, another record-setting milestone for the Philippine shipbuilding industry.”

The 333 m long ship has a breath of 60 m and is 299,019 dwt.

Showing how fast the Subic Bay yard is developing, it is now busy building three 20,600 teu containerships. Hanjin Heavy founded its Philippine affiliate nine years ago and it has since become one of the ten largest yards in the world.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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