On January 13, Jiangnan Shipyard and Beihai Shipbuilding, both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), announced that they had officially signed a contract for the construction of 12 18,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships and 3 210,000 DWT bulk carriers for COSCO Shipping, marking the accelerated progress of COSCO Shipping’s RMB 50 billion (approximately US$7.17 billion) new shipbuilding project.
On December 8, 2025, CSSC and COSCO Shipping signed a series of new shipbuilding projects worth over RMB 50 billion, of which approximately RMB 47 billion was settled in cross-border RMB, setting a “double record” for the highest single cooperation agreement amount and the highest cross-border RMB settlement amount in the history of China’s shipbuilding industry.
This collaboration covers a wide range of vessel types including container ships, oil tankers, grain carriers, multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, and ro-pax vessels, totaling 87 vessels. All vessels will be constructed by CSSC-affiliated shipyards, involving six facilities: Jiangnan Shipyard, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC), Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), CSSC Chengxi Shipyard and Beihai Shipbuilding.
From late 2025 to the present, this batch of new shipbuilding projects has successively announced 30 new vessels. The contracted shipyards include Jiangnan Shipyard, Beihai Shipbuilding, Wuchang Shipyard, and CSSC Chengxi Shipyard. The vessel types include container ships, ro-pax vessels, bulk carriers, and multi-purpose vessels.
Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry secures orders for 11 vessels across three vessel types.
In December 2025, Wuchang Shipbuilding signed a contract with Hainan Harbor & Shipping Holding for the construction of two 1,250-passenger ro-pax vessels, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2027. Upon delivery, the new vessels will operate on the Haikou-Xuwen route, serving the growing passenger and cargo transportation demand across the Qiongzhou Strait.
Hainan Harbor & Shipping Holding was officially incorporated into the COSCO Shipping management system in November 2019 and is managed in accordance with the management of a second-level enterprise directly under the group. It is the largest state-owned port and shipping enterprise in Hainan Province. Its main business is terminal (container and general cargo) loading and unloading, passenger and ro-ro transportation, port logistics, shipping and port and shipping services.
On January 1, 2026, COSCO Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of COSCO SHIPPING Group, placed an order with Wuchang Shipbuilding for nine feeder container ships of Type 2, comprising five 1,100 TEU container ships and four 1,800 TEU container ships.
It is said that this batch of new vessels is designed to meet the transportation needs of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and coastal feeder lines. Wuchang Shipbuilding has now started the preliminary preparation work for this series of vessels and will promote the implementation of the project with a rhythmic construction mode to ensure high-quality and timely delivery of the vessels, create greater value for customers, and contribute to the construction of China’s maritime power.
CSSC Chengxi Shipyard secures order for four multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels
On December 31, 2025, COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers announced an order for four 40,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels from CSSC Chengxi Shipyard. The total value of the newbuildings is RMB 1.492 billion, with each vessel costing RMB 373 million. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery by June 2028, with the remaining vessels to be delivered sequentially by the end of February 2029.
COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers stated that in recent years, the rapidly expanding wind power market has generated substantial maritime transport demand. The trend toward larger wind turbines and deeper offshore development has placed higher demands on the scale and vessel configuration of the company’s multi-purpose heavy-lift fleet.
As one of the world’s largest maritime service providers for wind power equipment, COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers’ new fleet of four 40,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels will further optimize its fleet’s cargo adaptability. This initiative will support the global expansion of China’s advanced manufacturing sector and ensure the security and stability of the global new energy industry supply chain.
Jiangnan Shipyard to Build 12 LNG Dual-Fuel Large Container Ships
On January 13, Jiangnan Shipyard inked a contract with COSCO Shipping Lines for the construction of 12 dual-fuel LNG-powered container ships, each boasting a capacity of 18,000 TEU. Each of the 12 new vessels has a contract price of RMB 1.399 billion, totaling RMB 16.788 billion (approximately US$2.406 billion). Deliveries are expected between 2028 and 2029.
Notably, this marks COSCO Shipping’s first order for LNG dual-fuel container ships, signaling a significant strategic move in the shipping giant’s fuel transition. Previously, Jiangnan Shipyard built and delivered 12 5,100 TEU container ships, 8 4,700 TEU container ships, and 6 21,000 TEU container ships for COSCO Shipping. Among them, the 6 ultra-large 21,000 TEU container ships built for COSCO Shipping Lines have become mobile calling cards for the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” providing solid shipping capacity support for the implementation of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
The 18,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship signed this time is the “Kun” (KUN-18N) type, independently developed and designed by Jiangnan Shipyard. It uses LNG as its main fuel and has complete independent intellectual property rights. All performance indicators have reached the advanced level in China, with the advantages of high efficiency, energy saving and green environmental protection, which meets the shipowner’s strategy and plan to reduce carbon emissions of the fleet in the subsequent operation cycle.
Beihai Shipbuilding to Construct Three Large Bulk Carriers
On the same day (the 13th) that Jiangnan Shipyard announced a major order for 12 dual-fuel tankers, Beihai Shipbuilding announced a contract with COSCO Shipping Bulk for three 210,000 DWT bulk carriers.
Beihai Shipbuilding announced that the newly contracted 210,000 DWT dry cargo vessels are developed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI) and will be classed by China Classification Society (CCS). The vessel has an overall length of 299.90 meters, a beam of 50.00 meters, a depth of 26.30 meters, and a structural draft of 18.50 meters. It features a dual-fuel design with provisions for methanol and ammonia fuel. Capable of handling bulk cargo, general cargo, and containers, it represents an innovative upgrade to the traditional 210,000 DWT vessel design.
With multiple new vessels entering into force around the 2026 New Year’s Day, CSSC and COSCO Shipping are accelerating the execution of this record-breaking landmark order. As a milestone in the joint development of CSSC and COSCO Shipping, this new shipbuilding cooperation fully demonstrates the mission and responsibility of central enterprises to “forge ahead hand in hand and strive for maritime prosperity”.
The two state-owned enterprises will jointly build a safe, efficient, green, and resilient global maritime transport system by deepening cooperation in areas such as technological innovation, green and low-carbon development, smart ships, and intelligent manufacturing.