Building BIG Ships
There is a noticeable break in ship size distribution that corresponds to the breadth of the Panama Canal.
There is a corresponding break in the structure of the shipbuilding industry.
The yards that build BIG ships don’t build SMALL ships and vice versa.
There are now over 600 yards building commercial vessels, of which over 200 build “Panamax” ships but only 42 build BIG ships.
The BIG-Ship Shipbuilders
Japan (18)
IHI Marine (2) Imabari (2) Kawasaki
Koyo Dockyard Mitsubishi Mitsui
Namura Oshima Sanoyas Sasebo
Sumitomo Tsuneishi (2) Universal (3)
Korea (5)
Daewoo Hanjin Hyundai Samho Samsung
China (6)
Dalian Hudong Jiangnan
Liaoning Nantong Waigaoqiao
Europe (9)
Aker – Turku (Finland)
Atlantique (France)
Fincantieri (Italy) (3)
IZAR (Spain)
Meyer Werft (Germany)
Odense(Denmark)
Brodosplit (Croatia)
Other (4)
Avondale (U.S.)
NASSCO (U.S.)
Newport News (U.S.)
China SB (Taiwan)
Shipbuilder Hyundai -Hyundai Heavy Industries
Revenues (2005) $16.1 billion
Net Profit $188 million
Backlog $25 billion
Employees 25,000
Subcontractors 10,000
Ships/Year ~80
# of Docks/Ways 9
Biggest Dock 640m x 92m
Shipbuilder Samsung -Samsung Heavy Industries
Revenues (2005) $5.5 billion
Net Profit $73 million
Backlog $18 billion
Employees 12,000
Subcontractors 8,000
Ships/Year ~45
# of Docks/Ways 4
Biggest Dock 640m x 98m
Shipbuilder Daewoo
Revenues (2005) $4.8 billion
Net Profit $8 million
Backlog $16 billion
Employees 10,000
Biggest Dock 529m x 131m
Subcontractors 10,000
Ships/Year ~45
# of Docks/Ways 5
in ship size distribution that
corresponds to the breadth of
the Panama Canal.
There is a corresponding
break in the structure of the
shipbuilding industry.
The yards that build BIG
ships don’t build SMALL ships
and vice versa.
There are now over 600
yards building commercial
vessels, of which over 200
build “Panamax” ships but
only 42 build BIG ships.There is a noticeable break in ship size distribution that corresponds to the breadth of the Panama Canal. There is a corresponding break in the structure of the shipbuilding industry. The yards that build BIG ships don’t build SMALL ships and vice versa. There are now over 600 yards building commercial vessels, of which over 200 build “Panamax” ships but only 42 build BIG ships.