On December 2nd, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), celebrated the simultaneous launching of its first 8,600 CEU PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) and a 114,000 DWT Aframax product tanker. This milestone signifies a new breakthrough in synchronized production of new and conventional ship types within the same dock at SWS.
The first 8,600 CEU LNG dual-fuel large PCTC constructed by SWS has successfully launched, achieving the established target of a 100-day dock cycle. This includes 50 days from docking to floating, and another 50 days from floating to launching, continuing to maintain “acceleration” in the field of commercial shipbuilding.
The construction of this PCTC began on December 21, 2023, and the hull assembly commenced on August 23, 2024. The PCTC is a high-tech and challenging ship type in the industry. SWS has fully leveraged its experience in building and managing large cruise ships, taking into account its production facilities, production sites, and ship type characteristics. The compay has organized comprehensive production technical preparations and planning, established a complete project management system and production organization structure, and developed detailed engineering plans.
Currently, SWS holds newbuilding orders for PCTCs covering ship specifications with capacities of 8,600 CEU, 9,000 CEU, and 10,800 CEU. The company’s market share and international influence in the PCTC newbuilding sector continue to rise.
Since dry docking in late August, the 114,000 DWT Aframax product tanker has seen active cooperation from various departments at SWS. They have thoroughly absorbed the experience from previous ship construction projects, rigorously implemented process advancements to optimize and improve the production pace, and carefully prepared project plans. As a result, the launching integrity of this ship has continued to improve based on previous ships.
This ship is the first Aframax product tanker built by SWS to successfully complete all load and functionality tests of the main generator in the dock. This achievement lays a solid foundation for improving the mooring trials and saving the cycle of special coating.