A ship hull, especially intended for oil and chemical ships, passenger ships are fishing ships, comprising a hull made of steel or aluminium built on a supporting structure of frames, stringers and longitudinals, having improved buoyancy and energy absorbing capability, and a method of manufacturing such a ship. Between an outer hull (200) and an inner hull (202) a layer (204) of a cellular plastic material is applied having chiefly closed cells. The outer hull is made of a high strength steel, wherein at external strain the outer hull and the cellular plastic material are adapted to jointly constitute an energy absorbing deformation zone.