SEOUL – Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries — Korea’s two leading shipbuilders under conglomerates Hanwha Group and HD Hyundai, respectively — are ramping up their efforts to win a $2.7 billion submarine procurement contract from Poland.
According to HD Hyundai, Tomasz Szubrycht, commandant of the Polish Naval Academy, visited HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan shipyard on Thursday to assess the shipbuilder’s latest submarines and related technologies.
HD Hyundai presented a 3,000-ton class submarine and a 1,800-ton class submarine to Polish Navy officials, giving them a closer look at what the company has proposed for the European country’s underwater weapons procurement. The Korean shipbuilder also introduced its submarine-building facilities and manufacturing equipment.
HD Hyundai said it also explained how the submarine project can contribute to the two countries’ talent growth and technological development.
The head of the Polish Naval Academy was quoted by HD Hyundai as saying that he was impressed by the Korean shipbuilder’s excellent shipbuilding capabilities and world-class technology, and that the visit was a good opportunity to check the company’s maintenance, repair and operation capabilities for not only midsized to large submarines, but also various warships such as destroyers and frigates, and to realize the importance of follow-up logistics support.
“HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is ready to play an important role in Poland’s security and this can be expanded to various sectors beyond the submarine procurement project,” said Joo Won-ho, head of the special ship business unit at HD HHI.
HD Hyundai previously held a promotion day in the Polish capital Warsaw on Oct. 8 and invited over 80 high-ranking officials from Poland. The Korean company signed a memorandum of understanding with Remontowa Shipbuilding, a local shipyard in Gdansk, for joint maintenance, repair and operation services.
Szubrycht also visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Gyeongsang Province on the previous day, inspecting the shipbuilder’s submarine-building site, technological education center and research and development facilities.
Hanwha Ocean officials explained plans to train submarine crew members and maintenance personnel for the Polish Navy’s stable submarine operation. According to Hanwha, the two sides discussed possibilities in cooperation for joint research and development in the long term.
Szubrycht was quoted by Hanwha as saying that Hanwha’s submarine training road map and cutting-edge submarine technologies were impressive and the visit was a meaningful time for the two countries’ cooperation in maritime development in the future, including the Orka submarine project, referring to Poland’s submarine procurement contract.
“The Orka project is not just a submarine acquisition, but will serve as a chance to further strengthen Korea-Poland’s economic and industrial cooperation as well as the advancement of the two countries’ naval power in the long term,” said a Hanwha Ocean official.
Last month, Hanwha Ocean signed a partnership with Polish defense firm WB Group to cooperate to raise the former’s chances of winning the Orka project.
According to Polish media, the Polish Navy’s Orka submarine procurement project has entered its final stage, as the country looks to acquire three next-generation diesel-electric powered submarines. A total of 11 shipbuilders, including Hanwha and HD Hyundai, as well as companies from Germany, France, Sweden and Spain, are vying for the Polish submarine bid.