Samsung chooses to build 3 large-tonnage oil tankers in Vietnam

South Korean shipbuilders are said to be shifting some of their operations overseas, with Vietnam emerging as a prominent option with its available workforce.

A Suezmax-class oil tanker of Samsung Heavy Industries - Photo: SHI

On November 20, Maritime Fairtrade reported that shipping company Zodiac Maritime (headquartered in the UK) is the first customer at the new shipyard, with the participation of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in Vietnam.

The contract includes three Suezmax tankers, each worth about $80 million, and is expected to be delivered in 2028.

Designed to carry about 157,000 deadweight tons ( DWT ), the three tankers will be built at a shipyard in southern Vietnam.

According to Maritime Fairtrade , this shipyard is the result of cooperation between SHI and the Petroleum Shipbuilding and Mechanical Industry Company Limited (PVSM).

Previously in May 2025, the Vietnam National Energy and Industry Group ( Petrovietnam ) said that Petrovietnam and SHI have a strategic cooperation orientation in the field of shipbuilding.

By June 2025, PetroVietnam Shipbuilding and Mechanical Industry Company Limited (PVSM) - a unit under Petrovietnam, announced a cooperation agreement between PVSM and partner SHI.

In which, PVSM signed a cooperation agreement with SHI on the construction of 2 new Suezmax crude oil tankers (156,850 DWT ) and 2 LR2 oil product tankers (115,000 DWT ).

South Korean shipbuilders are said to be shifting some of their activities overseas, as domestic shipyards are almost fully booked due to a boom in new orders.

In SHI's case, the company is said to be dividing its orders into two directions: ships with simple designs, such as oil tankers, will be subcontracted to foreign shipyards; while ships requiring high technology, such as LNG carriers and FSRUs, will be built directly at SHI's factories.

Maritime Executive magazine commented that Vietnam's shipbuilding industry currently has an abundant workforce, including many shipbuilders and welders trained in Korea, but domestic factories are not yet involved in the field of super-tonnage shipbuilding.

HD Huyndai, another Korean shipbuilder, is also noted to have been operating in Vietnam for many years.

The latest agreement between Zodiac and SHI demonstrates the strategic efforts of Korean shipbuilders to expand into the global market through international cooperation, while contributing to promoting Vietnam's shipbuilding capacity.

NGHI VU

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/samsung-chon-dong-3-tau-cho-dau-trong-tai-lon-tai-viet-nam-20251120180545889.htm