HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured its first-ever overseas order for an icebreaker—beating out traditional icebreaker-building powerhouses such as Finland and Norway—marking the shipbuilder’s full-scale entry into the global icebreaker market.
On April 22, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced that it had signed a contract with the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) for the construction of an icebreaker. Valued at $348.9 million, the vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2029, at which time it will be deployed in the Baltic Sea.
This type of icebreaker measures 126 meters in overall length, has a displacement of 15,000 tons, and is capable of continuously breaking through ice layers ranging from 1 to 1.2 meters in thickness. Icebreakers are specialized vessels designed specifically to carve out navigation channels in ice-bound waters; they operate by relying on the ship’s hull to directly crush the ice, with their core technology lying in their reinforced hull structure and unique hull design.
This marks the first time HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured an overseas icebreaker construction project; the bidding process for this order was highly competitive, with traditional icebreaker-building nations—such as Finland and Norway—also participating. In June 2025, the Swedish Maritime Administration announced the results of the tender, with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries successfully winning the bid.
However, Helsinki Shipyard—the second-ranked bidder—has appealed the Swedish authorities’ decision to award the contract, citing irregularities in the project’s tendering process. The shipyard primarily raised objections regarding the two reference vessels submitted by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Due to Helsinki Shipyard’s dissatisfaction with the bidding results, the formal signing of the contract for this icebreaker order was temporarily delayed. It was not until April 13, 2026—when a Swedish district court dismissed Helsinki Shipyard’s appeal and ruled that the tender process was lawful and valid—that the winning shipyard was finally able to successfully sign the contract.
Commenting on this order, an official from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated: “This contract demonstrates the enhanced overall competitiveness of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in the global new shipbuilding market following its merger with HD Hyundai Mipo. The company will continue to explore new export markets within the specialized vessel sector.”