Improper container securing and failed latching systems have long been safety hazards in the industry and are among the causes of stack collapses and incidents involving containers falling overboard. To reduce the occurrence of such accidents, a South Korean shipbuilder has delivered the world’s first container ship featuring a “lashing-free” design.
HD Hyundai recently announced that its shipbuilding subsidiary has delivered a 13,000-TEU methanol-fueled dual-fuel container ship to France’s CMA CGM. The vessel is the world’s first container ship to feature a “lashing-free” design; HD Hyundai Heavy Industries independently completed the research, development, and validation of all components for the “lashing-free” technology, while HD Hyundai Samho was responsible for the detailed design and construction of the vessel.
HD Hyundai states that container ships utilizing “lashing-free” technology eliminate the traditional, manual process of securing containers with lashing equipment. This prevents cargo loss at the source and maximizes logistics efficiency.
The large hatch covers used on conventional container ships interfere with the upward-extending cell guides, preventing the guides from extending to the deck. To address this structural challenge, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed a standardized “portable bench.”
This “mobile platform” can transfer the load from containers stacked on the deck area to the hull. At the same time, it extends the cell guides—originally used within the cargo holds to ensure the vertical alignment of containers—upward to the upper deck. The platform’s dimensions are identical to those of a 40-foot container, making it fully compatible with the port cranes used for cargo loading and unloading.
Additionally, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed a “Twistlock Rooting System”—a container-securing technology that allows containers stacked outside the area covered by the cargo hold cell guides to be firmly fastened to the hull.
Compared to conventional vessels of the same type, container ships featuring a “lashing-free” design can increase their on-deck cargo capacity by more than 10%, while ensuring stable transport of containers even in rough sea conditions.
An official from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated, “We plan to expand this new container transport technology to the small- and medium-sized container ship sector.”