HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has won a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract from the US Navy, marking its second order to service an American naval vessel.

The South Korean shipbuilder will carry out a regular overhaul of the USNS Cesar Chavez, a 41,000-ton logistics support ship assigned to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet.

The work will begin on 19 January at a quay near HHI’s Ulsan shipyard and is scheduled to continue until March.

The 210-metre-long replenishment ship will undergo maintenance on around 100 items. This will include work on the hull, propulsion system, electrical equipment and auxiliary systems. The vessel is expected to be returned to the US Navy in March.

The new contract follows the completion of HHI’s first MRO project for the US Navy. The USNS Alan Shepard departed earlier this week after undergoing a four-month overhaul that started in August.

While the US Navy initially requested maintenance on 60 items, further inspections revealed additional repair needs, which extended both the scope of work and the project timeline, along with costs.

The company said its leadership viewed the successful completion of the first project as proof of HHI’s technical capability and experience in naval ship maintenance.

The company said the head of its naval and special ship business believes HHI will strengthen its role in the US Navy ship repair market by improving efficiency and operational capabilities following the launch of its dedicated naval unit.

With the USNS Cesar Chavez contract, HHI now has two MRO orders from the US Navy. Rival shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean currently leads the market with three similar contracts.

SK Oceanplant and HJ Shipbuilding & Construction have recently completed a US Navy port facility security assessment, which is required before signing a Master Ship Repair Agreement. Such agreements allow privately owned shipyards to undertake maintenance work on US naval vessels.

References: koreatimes, koreaherald