Recently, Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard Co. LTD (Changhong International) officially signed a construction contract for 6+2 115,000 DWT LR2 product tankers with a well-known ship owner, marking the further consolidation of Changhong International’s position in the LR2 tanker construction market.
In industry news, the order comes from Greek owner Polembros Shipping and the new vessels are expected to be delivered in the second half of 2026.
The LR2/Aframax tanker signed this time was jointly developed by Changhong International and CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute (CIMC ORIC), and meets the latest international specifications and environmental standards. The vessel has a total length of 249.9 meters, a beam of 44 meters, a depth of 21.5 meters, a structural draft of 15.2 meters and a maximum deadweight of 115,000 tons with both efficient operation and low-carbon environmental protection characteristics.
As the latest generation of LR2 tankers in the current market, it adopts a straight bulb bow design, which optimizes the navigation performance under different draft conditions, effectively reduces comprehensive fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and is rated as an excellent carbon emission grade.
In addition, the vessel is equipped with the latest 6G60ME main engine and adopts efficient propulsion systems such as large-diameter propellers, vortex-eliminating fins and energy-saving ducts, which significantly improves propulsion efficiency.
Compared with similar vessels, at the same speed, its main engine continuous power (NCR) is reduced by 10%, and the energy efficiency index (EEDI) meets the highest standards of the Phase III, which fully meets the green transformation trend of the global shipping industry.
It is reported that the above-mentioned up to 8 LR2 tankers are the first tanker order made public by Changhong International this year. In February this year, Changhong International announced two container shipbuilding contracts, namely 4+2+2 22,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships for Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) and 4+2+2 22,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships for 10 11,400 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships.
According to the official website, Zhoushan Changhong International has established three major shipbuilding and repairing industrial bases in Dinghai District, Putuo District, and Daishan County of Zhoushan City. These are respectively Zhoushan Changhong International Shipbuilding and Repairing Co., Ltd. (headquarters), Zhoushan Putuo Changhong Shipbuilding and Repairing Co., Ltd., and Zhoushan CIMC Changhong Shipbuilding and Repairing Co., Ltd. It is a large-scale shipbuilding industrial enterprise with a full industrial chain integrating shipbuilding, ship repairing, ship dismantling, and metal resource utilization.
The three bases have a total investment of more than RMB 10 billion, covering an area of more than 6.5 million square meters, with a total shoreline length of more than 20,000 meters, an annual shipbuilding capacity of more than 5 million DWT and an annual ship repairing capacity of more than 500 ships.