HD Hyundai and Kiewit Form Joint Venture to Build Shipyard in the U.S.
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- splash 247HD Hyundai and Kiewit to build new US shipyard
- ports news rusiaHD Hyundai, US contractor Kiewit plan new US yard
- Baird Maritime**South Korea's HD Hyundai and Kiewit team up to build new US shipyard**
- Baird Maritime**Partnership unveils plans for new naval and commercial shipyard in Ingleside, Texas**
HD Hyundai, of South Korea, and U.S. engineering and construction firm Kiewit signed an agreement on Thursday in Houston to form the joint venture HD Kiewit Shipbuilding, aimed at building a new shipyard in the United States. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with full-scale operations starting in 2029 and the creation of about 3,000 jobs.
Project Location
According to Baird Maritime, the new shipyard would be set up in Ingleside, Texas, on an industrial site with deepwater access and unrestricted outlet to the Gulf of Mexico, where Kiewit already operates a 555-acre (225-hectare) fabrication facility used for offshore and onshore modules, including the South Fork Wind project. The Ports News Russia agency, however, noted that the exact location, investment amount and equity distribution have not yet been disclosed by the parties.
Technology to Be Incorporated
The new shipyard will mark the first U.S. application of the "Future of Shipyard" model that HD Hyundai has been developing at its own plants since 2021, which includes digital twins, automated manufacturing and robotic welding.
Goals and Framework of the Agreement
HD Kiewit Shipbuilding will initially focus on building auxiliary vessels for the U.S. Navy and commercial ships, while also exploring the fabrication of hull blocks and modules for other U.S. shipyards, along with technical training programs. The project builds on a strategic agreement signed in July between HD Hyundai and Kiewit Offshore Services, as part of South Korea's $150 billion investment commitment to the U.S. shipbuilding sector, within a broader $350 billion package agreed in exchange for U.S. tariff reductions.
Expanding Partnerships
The initiative adds to other recent partnerships by HD Hyundai in the United States, such as the July agreement with Fraser Industries to modernize shipyards in the Great Lakes, the automated welding pilot project launched in August with Huntington Ingalls Industries at its Ingalls Shipbuilding plant in Mississippi, and the alliance with Tampa Ship, of Edison Chouest Offshore, to develop LNG dual-fuel containerships built in the United States. Kiewit, for its part, is an employee-owned company founded in 1884 that reported revenues of $18.2 billion in 2025 and had about 34,500 employees.
