Recently, Hengli Heavy Industries has signed contracts with several major international shipping companies for the construction of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). Within just two weeks, the company has secured orders for 12 VLCCs, with the total order value exceeding 10 billion yuan (approximately US$1.4 billion)!
On October 9, *ST Songfa issued an announcement regarding the signing of a major contract for routine operations by its subsidiary. The contract for the construction of six vessels by its subsidiary Hengli Shipbuilding (Dalian) Co., Ltd. (“Hengli Shipbuilding”) was recently signed and has taken effect. The total contract value amounts to approximately US$600 million to US$900 million, with deliveries scheduled to commence from the second half of 2026 through the first half of 2027.
According to the announcement, the VLCCs contracted this time is a mainstream international large-scale crude oil carrier, characterized by large loading capacity, long cruising range, and high operational efficiency. Designed to balance route adaptability and loading flexibility, this vessel type can efficiently adapt to the loading and unloading equipment of major crude oil ports worldwide. It can meet the needs of long-distance transoceanic crude oil trunk line transportation and large-scale transportation from large oil fields to refineries. It conforms to the latest international tanker design concepts and meets the current international shipping market demand for large-scale, low-carbon transportation.
Including the latest order activation information disclosed in the announcement, Hengli Heavy Industries has publicly announced 12 VLCCs recently. Since September, the company has also signed contracts for 6 bulk carriers and up to 8 medium-sized container ships.
According to Hengli Group’s official Weibo account, the 12 VLCCs are from European shipowners including Norway’s Frontline, Greece’s Dynacom, and Laskaridis. Frontline’s six VLCCs were announced in September and are all scheduled for delivery by the first half of 2027.
Hengli Group stated that this collaboration with multiple leading shipping companies will further elevate Hengli Heavy Industries’ standing in the international shipbuilding market. It will also provide these shipping companies with high-quality, high-performance vessels to meet their operational needs in the global shipping market.
Notably, according to foreign media reports, the four 306,000 DWT VLCCs commissioned by Hengli Group and built by Hengli Heavy Industries have now been resold to Dynacom. It remains unclear whether these four vessels are included in the scope of the newly announced order.
As a leading shipbuilder in China, Hengli Heavy Industries continues to achieve breakthroughs in high-end shipbuilding. The signing of these consecutive major orders not only promotes sustainable development in the shipping industry but also injects new vitality into the global shipping market. With the gradual delivery of these orders, Hengli Heavy Industries is poised to occupy an increasingly significant position in the global shipping market.
On October 9, coinciding with the announcement of new orders, Hengli Heavy Industries held a naming ceremony for two 181,000 DWT bulk carriers and one 82,000 DWT bulk carrier. This marks the second time in a short period that Hengli Heavy Industries has simultaneously named three new vessels.
Two 181,000 DWT bulk carriers were named “UETLIBERG” and “ZUGERBERG,” while an 82,000 DWT bulk carrier was named “LEONARDO.”
It is reported that this 181,000 DWT bulk carrier features environmental friendliness, economic efficiency, and safety. Among them, the “UETLIBERG” is the first vessel of this series. Having been successfully launched after completion on the slipway, it became the first bulk carrier of this tonnage class in China to be constructed and launched on a slipway.
The three newly named vessels were all ordered by Germany’s Vogemann. Vogemann is a renowned European shipping enterprise and one of Hengli Heavy Industries’ first overseas shipowners and key partners. Previously, Vogemann completed the construction of three 82,000 DWT bulk carriers at Hengli Heavy Industries. These vessels have demonstrated significant advantages during operation, with all performance indicators meeting internationally advanced standards.
Since last year, Vogemann has placed additional orders for new vessels with Hengli Heavy Industries.