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Sturdy shipbuilding scene Shanghai is home to some of the country’s best-respected yards
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hanghai has long been home to both dependable and innovative shipyards. In Hudong Zhonghua and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shibuilding (SWS) the city can claim two of China’s blue chip state run shipbuilding brands (alongside, arguably, Dalian Shipbuildng Industry Co). A glance at Hudong Zhonghua and SWS’s set of top international owners on their orderbooks confirms their top status within the country’s depressed shipbuilding situation. Both Shanghai entities are part of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), the state-controlled umbrella organisation in charge of all government held yards from Shanghai southwards. Also under the CSSC remit is Jiangnan
Shipyard, the very cradle of Chinese shipbuilding, founded in 1865. Not that Shanghai’s shipbuilders are anything like
Jiangnan Shipyard, founded in 1865, is the cradle of Chinese shipbuilding they used to be with all centrally located yards having shifted to much larger premises on an island to the north of the metropolis in the run up the 2010 World Expo. CSSC is consolidating its yards. To this end, earlier this year SWS took a 36% stake
in Jiangnan Changxing Heavy Industries from sister company Jiangnan Shipyard and divested 51% interest in Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding to Hudong Zhonghua. SWS, best known for its rigs, bulkers and tankers, and latterly FPSOs, surprised many earlier this year when it won an order for the largest boxships to be built in China so far. The trio of 16,000 teu ships, ordered by sister firm CSSC Leasing, will go on charter to France’s CMA CGM. Among other new products SWS is marketing are small-sized LNG ships. When it comes to LNG Hudong Zhonghua is in an exalted position as the only Chinese yard to have delivered this hi-spec ship type and it is now working on a further series of six 174,000 cu m gas ships.
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