Hanjin delivers 2 vessels to Rio Tinto

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Korean shipbuilding firm Hanjin has delivered two newly built bulk carriers to a multinational client at the company’s 300-hectare shipyard here recently.

Taek Yun Yoo, general manager of the Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd-Philippines Inc. (HHIC-Philippines), said the vessels RTM Dampier and RTM Zheng He, which were named after a British explorer and a Chinese navigator, respectively, were bought by Rio Tinto Shipping Limited from the firm.

“These two vessels are only the latest that we’ve built for Rio Tinto. They are one of our best and loyal clients. And we have built ships of high quality [for them],” Yoo told the Inquirer in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Yoo said HHIC-Philippines delivered the M/V RTM Cartier, named after a French explorer, to Rio Tinto in August. The M/V Cook, another bulk carrier, was delivered to the same company in May.

RTM Dampier and RTM Zheng He, whose home port is London, measure 299.9 meters and are valued $60 million each.

In a statement, Jin Kyu Ahn, HHIC-Philippines president, commended the mutual partnership between his firm and Rio Tinto that resulted in the successful completion of the two vessels.

“This momentous occasion further affirms our Filipino workforce’s competitiveness in the global shipbuilding [industry],” Ahn said. Tom Albanese, chief executive officer of Rio Tinto, credited HHIC-Philippines’ modern facilities and its Filipino workers for delivering the vessels on time.

With these two new ships, HHIC-Philippines has already delivered a total of 42 vessels ranging from container ships and oil tankers to bulk carriers to various international shipping companies since the delivery of its first vessel made in its Subic shipyard in 2008. From 2008 to 2011, HHIC-Philippines posted P128 billion worth of export sales, making it a major contributor to the Philippines’ export portfolio.—Robert Gonzaga