Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, one of Korea’s top three shipbuilders, said Tuesday that it has won an order of six 10,000-TEU container vessels from an international ship management company.

The deal with Zodiac Maritime Agencies, worth some $540 million, meets the company’s year-end target of $13 billion for its fourth consecutive year of achieving over $10 billion in contract deals.

The two companies have also discussed the possibility of four additional vessels on top of the six that were settled on, said DSME officials.

The carriers ― expected to be delivered by mid-2016 ― will all be chartered and operated long-term by Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., according to the company.

Each vessel is able to transport 10,000 containers and can sail through the expanded Panama Canal.

Moreover, the vessels’ design has been configured to optimize fuel efficiency and has received several positive reviews for its top performance, the company added.

DSME said it evaluates the latest signing as a direct result of having accumulated and maintained good faith with its partners.

For instance, the company has previously obtained an order of five 13,000-TEU carriers from HMMC in 2011 and is currently in the process of building them.

Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries, a DSME subsidiary, is also known to have won an order for four 8,700-TEU container vessels from Zodiac Maritime Agencies in 2011, the company said.

DSME, having dominated the market numerous times, is proving to be a key player and global leader in the shipbuilding industry.

The company mainly attributes its success to having pursued a customer-oriented mindset based on its years of experience, while making a continuous effort to provide satisfactory and quality vessels.

“Being equipped with diversified competitiveness ― from building merchant ships to offshore supply vessels and even warships ― and a balanced sales capacity are both major driving forces for DSME,” a company official said.

“Next year we will make sure to prolong our success and meet our yearly goal once again.”

By Kim Joo-hyun (jhk@heraldcorp.com)