First vessel to use the new Lashing-Free system was recently delivered to CMA CGM (HD Hyundai)
08 OCT 2026
South Korean shipbuilding group HD Hyundai is reporting the delivery of its first container vessel using the company’s newly developed “Lashing-Free” system that eliminates the need for workers to manually secure containers on board. It highlights benefits of increased capacity and ease of handling while also reporting that the system will be able to handle heavy weather and provide other benefits to the ships.
The system was installed on a new containership built for CMA CGM, which underwent sea trials in September. The ship has a capacity of 13,000 TEU while using HD Hyundai’s hybrid-type Lashing-Free Technology. The ship is methanol-fueled and otherwise appears to use a conventional layout for the placement of containers above deck.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries reports it independently developed and validated all key components of the Lashing-Free technology. HD Hyundai Samho was responsible for the detailed design and construction of the vessel incorporating the system.
The vessel extends the cell guides, which support containers stacked vertically in alignment inside the cargo hold, above deck. HD Hyundai says that it also incorporates technologies designed to prevent cargo loss and maximize logistics efficiency. The technology the shipbuilder says is expected to play a key role in accelerating automation and unmanned operations across the broader logistics network connecting land and sea, including container terminals.
The Lashing-Free containership removes the need for manual container lashing, which traditionally is carried out by workers using lashing equipment on large container vessels. Improperly attached containers and failures of the locking system have often been cited as a concern and one of the potential contributors to stack collapse or overboard containers.
The conventional large hatch covers used on container vessels currently would obstruct the extended cell guides, preventing them from reaching above deck. To overcome this structural limitation, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries developed a standardized “portable bench” that can be installed between the cell guides. The portable bench is built to the same dimensions as a 40-foot container, allowing it to be handled using the same port cranes used to load and unload containers.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has also developed a “Twistlock Rooting System,” which it says securely fastens containers stowed outside the cell guide area to the vessel’s structure.
Sea trials conducted by HD Hyundai in September for this first vessel, it says, also showed that the Lashing-Free system significantly reduces vibration during operation compared with conventional designs using hatch covers and lashing bridges.
HD Hyundai reports another benefit of the system is that the Lashing-Free containership can carry over 10 percent additional cargo weight on deck compared with conventional vessels of the same type. The system is reported to also provide stable support for containers even in rough seas and strong winds, helping prevent cargo loss, enhance maritime safety, and reduce the risk of marine pollution.
“We plan to expand the application of this new container transportation technology to small- and medium-sized vessels,” said Hongryeul Ryu, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The company says it is also developing a next-generation version of the technology incorporating weathertight features.
The company reports it has been developing the concept for the past few years. It presented the technology at the 10th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC) in 2024.