# HD Hyundai delivers world’s first lashing-free boxship to CMA CGM *The 13,000 TEU methanol-powered CMA CGM GOLD eliminates manual cargo turnbuckles on deck, boosting allowable top-tier container weight by over 10%.* **Published:** October 16, 2026 **By:** Hyun-jung Lee **Section:** Shipbuilding & Defense — South Korea **Format:** Breaking **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-delivers-worlds-first-lashing-free-boxship-cma-747 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - HD Hyundai delivers world's first lashing-free 13,000 TEU container ship CMA CGM GOLD - Deck payload capacity rises by over 10% through extended cell guides and portable benches - Shipbuilder targets July 2027 to validate next-generation weathertight feeder variant ![Port workers wearing hard hats and reflective vests watch the CMA CGM GOLD container ship navigate the harbor. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-16-6fac2a57bbe4.webp) *Port workers wearing hard hats and reflective vests watch the CMA CGM GOLD container ship navigate the harbor. (AI-generated image)* HD Hyundai confirmed the delivery of the world's first lashing-free container ship to French ocean carrier CMA CGM on Oct. 16, 2026. The 13,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel vessel, named CMA CGM GOLD, increases allowable deck cargo weight by more than 10% over conventional ships in the same class. Shipbuilder HD Hyundai Samho handled detailed engineering and construction at its Yeongam yard, while HD Hyundai Heavy Industries developed the underlying mechanical structure. The delivery marks the first commercial deployment of a deck securing architecture designed to remove manual lashing labor from container terminals. Conventional container vessels require stevedores to scale tall lashing bridges, manually tightening heavy steel rods and turnbuckles to secure deck-stowed boxes. That process exposes dockside personnel to severe fall hazards and accounts for a substantial share of total vessel idle time during port cargo operations. HD Hyundai replaced external deck lashing on selected holds with a hybrid system that extends internal vertical cell guides above the weather deck line. Terminal gantry cranes lower containers directly into the fixed vertical steel tracks, which mechanically resist lateral forces and sea rolling without external tension rods. To resolve mechanical clearance issues above cargo hold openings, the shipbuilder engineered a crane-handled 40-foot portable bench. Quayside gantry cranes hoist the portable bench units directly off the hatch covers, giving crane operators full access to under-deck container cells. For outermost container stacks where extended cell guide towers cannot be erected, the shipyard incorporated a specialized twistlock rooting system. The integrated locking system anchors bottom container corner castings into the hatch deck plating to prevent stack shifting during rough sea transits. Full-scale sea trials finished in September 2026 proved that the rigid deck guide arrangement reduced hull and container vibration below levels logged on lashing-bridge hulls. The International Maritime Organization reviewed the engineering concept in 2024 at the 10th session of its Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers. South Korea's maritime delegation submitted the mechanism to the United Nations shipping agency as a benchmark technological countermeasure against container loss at sea. The design also secured South Korea's IR52 Jang Young-shil Award earlier in 2026 following domestic and international patent registrations across key maritime jurisdictions. CMA CGM operates a global container fleet exceeding 600 vessels and holds one of the industry's largest orderbooks for alternative-fuel tonnage. The French shipping line deployed the dual-fuel newbuild as part of its program to phase out fossil marine fuels across transpacific and Far East-Europe loops. HD Hyundai Samho holds forward delivery slots booked through late 2027, with high-specification dual-fuel container vessels forming the core of its commercial orderbook. Port container operations face mounting pressure to accelerate crane cycles, as mega-max container ships concentrate thousands of container moves into single port calls. Eliminating deck turnbuckles removes the primary bottleneck between quay crane movements and longshore lashers working directly beneath suspended container loads. The structural redesign also insulates container stacks against loose rod turnbuckles, a leading cause of container stack collapses during high-latitude ocean transits. The shipyard's release does not disclose the precise number of deck bays fitted with the hybrid system, nor does it quantify port-turnaround time reductions or longshore labor savings. HD Hyundai plans to conclude operational validations for a weathertight iteration of the lashing-free deck structure by July 2027 to adapt the mechanism for mid-sized feeder vessels. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Commercial deployment of lashing-free container ship | HD Hyundai secures intellectual property lead and IR52 award, expanding high-margin deck patents | Chinese state shipyards Jiangnan and Hudong face new rival standard for automated deck securing | Japanese liners ONE and shipbuilders evaluate patent clearances for automated cargo hold guides | CMA CGM cuts terminal turn times on 13,000 TEU routes while eliminating hazardous manual deck turnbuckle labor | ## In this story - **Companies:** HD Hyundai, CMA CGM - **Tickers:** 267250.KS - **Exposed:** HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho - **Policy:** Standards - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Order Book, Cost Structure ## Primary sources 1. m-i.kr 2. hd-samho.com 3. imarinenews.com 4. newsfreezone.co.kr 5. maritime-executive.com --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "HD Hyundai delivers world’s first lashing-free boxship to CMA CGM," October 16, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/shipbuilding/hd-hyundai-delivers-worlds-first-lashing-free-boxship-cma-747