Since January 2024, the three largest shipbuilders in Shanghai under China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) – Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co Ltd, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd – have been delivering a new ship in an average of 2.8 days.
According to statistics, the three ship enterprises have named and delivered a total of 11 ships since January this year. Among them, the proportion of medium and high-end ship types is 82%, and the proportion of clean energy-powered ships is 64%.
In terms of ship type, it includes 93,000 cbm super-large liquefied gas carriers (VLGC), 15,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel-powered large containers, 15,500 TEU conventional-fuel-powered large containers, and 7,600 ceu position LNG dual-fuel-powered large ocean-going car carriers (PCTCs), delivered by Jiangnan Shipyard. Hudong-Zhonghua delivered the world’s first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel-powered large container and 13,500 dwt multi-purpose heavy lift vessel. Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding delivered 7,000 TEU medium-sized containers, 114,000 dwt Aframax product oil tankers, 190,000 dwt Capesize LNG dual-fuel-powered bulk carrier etc.
Since the beginning of this year, Jiangnan Shipyard has won an order for six 13,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel-powered large containers independently developed and designed by itself, which is not only the world’s first order for methanol dual-fuel-powered large containers this year, but also makes the number of orders for Jiangnan Shipyard’s “Kun” series of containers reach 18 units.
At the same time, Jiangnan Shipyard started the construction of one 14,000 TEU large container, docked one 15,000 TEU large container, set trial voyage for 93,000 cbm VLGC, 98,000 cbm Very Large Ethane Carrier (VLEC) and 15,000 TEU large container etc. It is understood that in 2024, the shipyard’s delivery target is 24 ships of nine types.
In 2024, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding will relocate to Changxing Island, which is also a key year for the company to accelerate the implementation of its LNG capacity doubling strategy. Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding plans to complete and deliver 20 ships for the whole year of 2024, with an operating income of RMB 23 billion (about US$3.1 billion). Among them, it plans to deliver 7 to 8 large LNG carriers within the year, striving to push China’s LNG carrier construction to a new height.
In addition to ship delivery, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding also completed the sea trial of a 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel-powered large container, commenced the construction of a 174,000 cbm large LNG carrier, and docked a world’s first China-made river-sea direct-delivery type 14,000 cbm LNG refuelling carrier.
Also, the shipyard completed the construction of the world’s most advanced N096 latest membrane type SUPER+ containment system. The liquid cargo holds achieved a submission pass rate of over 99 % for one time and zero leakage of invar membrane tightness for three times.
In 2024, the annual delivery target of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is 4 types of 22 ships. The company will make increasing profitability as the fundamental starting point of all its endeavours.
Since the beginning of this year, in addition to ship delivery, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has also commenced the construction of one 180,000 dwt dual-fuel-powered Capesize bulk carrier, docked two 7,000 TEU medium-sized containers, docked four 7,000 TEU medium-sized containers, as well as set up the trial voyage of one 7,000 TEU medium-sized container and one 190,000 dwt dual-fuel-powered Capesize bulk carrier, etc., which has laid solid foundation for the company to achieve the target of annual production and operation tasks.
What’s more, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has also clarified the goal of independent design and construction of large cruise ship. The company will further clarify the targets and plans for future enhancement, and make every effort to promote the construction of domestically produced large cruise ship No. 2 with cost control as the core.
It is understood that, up to now, Shanghai’s three major shipbuilding enterprises accumulated hand-held orders of more than 200 ships, the delivery date has been scheduled to 2028.