Recently, Zongyang Shipyard of Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company successfully signed a contract with New Zealand-based shipowner 44 South Shipping for the construction of 1+1 livestock carriers. This marks the first international order of its kind secured by Zongyang Shipyard, paving the way for the shipyard to enter the high-end specialized vessel market in New Zealand and the wider Oceania region.
As a high-tech specialized vessel, the livestock carrier involves numerous high-tech requirements in its design and construction, including cabin environment control, long-distance maritime biosafety, and specialized loading and unloading systems. It is understood that domestic shipyards have not disclosed any order information for this type of vessel in recent years.
The vessel contracted by Zongyang Shipyard measures 77 meters in length, 16 meters in width, and 5.8 meters in depth, with a deadweight tonnage of 1,750 tons. It meets international maritime safety standards, specifically focuses on optimizing the living environment during animal transport, and fully complies with international environmental emission regulations.
Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company was established on February 27, 2025, with a registered capital of RMB 202 million. It is jointly funded by Tongling Port and Shipping Investment & Construction Group Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Anhui Provincial Port and Shipping Group) and Shandong Port Land-Sea Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group), with respective capital contributions of RMB 103.02 million and RMB 98.98 million, accounting for 51% and 49% of the shareholding respectively.
The day after Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company was established (February 28, 2025), the Zongyang Shipyard project of Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company commenced construction; on May 22, Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company signed a contract with Singapore’s Winning Group to build four 12,000 DWT deck transport vessels, securing Zongyang Shipyard’s first international order; on June 25, Zongyang Shipyard officially went into operation, with self-propelled deck barges and LNG multipurpose vessels commencing construction on the same day.
As a key intelligent shipbuilding base developed by Anhui Port and Shipping Group, the Zongyang Shipyard project represents a total investment of RMB 670 million. From groundbreaking to production commencement, the project was completed in just four months. It primarily engages in shipbuilding, repair, and dismantling operations. According to the plan, the shipyard will focus on the research and development of new energy vessels, high-end equipment manufacturing, and port logistics coordination. It will concentrate on breakthroughs in the R&D and production of clean energy equipment such as electric vessels and hydrogen fuel vessels, aiming to establish itself as a demonstration base for intelligent shipbuilding in the Yangtze River basin.
Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company Zongyang Shipyard’s predecessor is the largest private shipbuilding enterprises in Anhui Province, Anhui Dongfang Shipbuilding, invested by Zhejiang Dongfang Shipbuilding Group. In 2008, Dongfang Shipbuilding’s Anhui base was completed and put into operation, and the first orders were signed for the construction of cargo ships with a total value of RMB 900 million (about US$125 million). However, as the shipbuilding industry entered a downturn, Dongfang Shipbuilding fell into an operational crisis and has since been seeking to sell assets and restructure.
In 2016, Zongyang County Government obtained the asset ownership of Anhui Dongfang Shipbuilding. In order to revitalize and utilize the resources of Dongfang Shipbuilding, Zongyang County Government actively promotes investment and accelerates the work related to the integration of the assets of Dongfang Shipbuilding.
In November 2024, Anhui Port & Shipping Group and Shandong Port Group signed an investment intention agreement in Qingdao. The two sides would improve the functional layout of the port, accelerate the new energy shipbuilding, planning inland waterway port and navigation equipment industrial park and other aspects of increased cooperation, re-combination of the revitalization of existing assets, reconstructing technology, management system, accelerate the Zongyang County Dongfang shipbuilding plant project cooperation landing. Eventually, Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company Zongyang Shipyard was successfully revitalized.
Since commencing operations, Zongyang Shipyard has steadily advanced multiple new shipbuilding projects, including self-propelled deck barges and LNG multi-purpose vessels. Entering 2026, Zongyang Shipyard has accelerated its pace, with simultaneous commencement of construction on China’s first 13,000-ton pure methanol-powered electric smart vessel and Shenzhen Weiqiao’s 9,800-ton new energy bulk carrier. This marks Zongyang Shipyard’s advancement into a new phase of scaled, systematic development in the field of green and intelligent vessels.