CSSC Ninth Design & Research Institute (CSSC NDRI) announced that it has recently been awarded a contract for a new 1,600-ton shipbuilding gantry crane project for Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. Construction officially began on August 5th. This project, following the delivery of a 700-ton shipbuilding gantry crane to Hudong-Zhonghua in 2023, marks another major shipbuilding gantry crane project.
With a total weight of approximately 3,500 tons and a span of 172 meters, it is the largest-tonnage gantry crane ever designed and manufactured by CSDC NDRI to date, and will also become a landmark “giant” at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s Changxing Base.
This gantry crane is planned to be installed at Dock No. 1 of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s Changxing Base. With a rated lifting capacity of 1,600 tons, it adopts a single main beam structure, effectively achieving a lightweight design for the entire machine.
The crane is mainly used for the assembly of hull blocks and features functions such as lifting, hoisting, in-air turning of blocks, and slight horizontal rotation. It is arranged between two existing 600t shipbuilding gantry cranes and has high requirements for anti-collision measures between different equipment.
The EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contract for this project has been successfully signed. As required, the project must complete certification, acceptance, and be delivered for operation by April 30, 2026. At present, the construction drawing design work for the project has been fully completed and successfully passed the review by the owner and experts.
Previously, it was reported that Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding officially relocated to its new site on May 19, 2025, and held a flag-raising ceremony at Donghua Square in the new facility area on Changxing Island on the same day, marking the official opening of the new facility area.
Public information indicates that Hudong-Zhonghua’s new facility is located along the southern coast of Changxing Island in Shanghai, covering a total construction area of 431.8 hectares and with a planned investment of RMB 18 billion (approximately US$2.507 billion).
The first phase of construction will cover 214.6 hectares, with a planned investment of RMB 8 billion (approximately US$11.14 billion). Construction projects primarily include a research and design building, a hull joint workshop, a curved block assembly and welding workshop, an outfitting module center, a coating shop, indoor dock No. 1, outdoor dock No. 2, a harbor basin and an outfitting pier. With a planned construction area of 460,000 square meters, the project will have an annual production capacity of six special vessels.
Upon completion, the project will significantly enhance Hudong-Zhonghua’s production capacity, with the ability to build large LNG carriers increasing from the current annual output of 6 vessels to over 10 vessels per year.