On March 14, Wuhu Shipyard officially kicked off the construction of a 5,000-TEU container ship for Kawa Shipping at its Nantong facility.
The 5,000 TEU container ship is classified by DNV and flies the Liberian flag, making it suitable for unlimited navigation worldwide and capable of serving most ports around the globe. The vessel’s design and construction strictly adhere to international conventions such as SOLAS and MARPOL, while also meeting the requirements of DNV classification rules and Liberian flag state regulations. It achieves internationally advanced standards in safety, reliability, and compliance, fully aligning with Kawa Shipping’s high standards and stringent requirements for global route operations.
This class of container vessel features an overall length of 243 meters and a beam of 37.3 meters, with a designed deadweight of approximately 67,275 tons. It boasts a maximum carrying capacity of 5,002 TEUs—including 564 reefer containers—and offers the flexibility to transport dry cargo containers, refrigerated containers, and compliant hazardous cargo containers. This design perfectly meets the diverse cargo transport requirements of Kawa Shipping’s global routes, while also providing highly adaptable operational support for the company’s strategic deployment across both regional trunk lines and international deep-sea routes.
In terms of propulsion and speed, the vessel is equipped with a single low-speed diesel engine, offering a service speed of approximately 18.9 knots and a range of up to 15,000 nautical miles. Combining speed advantages with deep-sea navigation capabilities, it provides efficient, convenient, and reliable maritime transport support for Kawa Shipping’s global trade cargo operations, further enhancing its route operational efficiency and market competitiveness.
Just one day before the steel cutting ceremony for the 5,000-TEU container ship being built for Jiahua Shipping, Wuhu Shipyard delivered a new vessel in Nantong: the first vessel in a series of 18,500 DWT chemical tankers ordered by EGPN Bulk Carrier Co., Ltd. (EGPN), named the “WESTERN ACACIA”.
It is understood that the Nantong base of Wuhu Shipyard—Wuchuan (Nantong) Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.—was established on February 9, 2026, with Zhang Zhao serving as its legal representative. The company was jointly founded by Wuhu Shipyard and Rugao Lingang Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd., with capital contributions of 60 million RMB and 40 million RMB, respectively, resulting in corresponding equity stakes of 60% and 40%.
It is worth noting that reports have previously indicated that Wuhu Shipyard has leased two of Rongsheng Heavy Industries’ four dry docks for the construction of large vessels.
As the Rongsheng Heavy Industries docks (Docks 1–3, completed between 2005 and 2009; Dock 4, commissioned in 2011) have remained idle for many years, Wuhu Shipyard has undertaken the maintenance and renovation of the associated infrastructure, as well as the repair and installation of equipment.
In terms of shipbuilding equipment, Wuhu Shipyard has procured one 2,400t × 162m gantry crane and one 1,600t × 162m gantry crane for use at its Nantong base, specifically for the assembly, transportation, and turnover of hull sections.
According to its official website, Wuhu Shipyard was originally founded in 1900 as Fujiheng Machinery Plant. It has now developed into a first-class modern shipbuilding enterprise in China with a history of 126 years. Its main business currently involves a series of civilian ships, including liquid cargo ships, car carriers, new energy ships, offshore engineering ships, bulk carriers, special ships and multi-purpose ships.
Excluding the Nantong base, Wuhu Shipyard includes the Wuhu Shipyard headquarters, the Weihai Shipbuilding base, Anhui Haizhi Equipment Research Institute, Shanghai Haizhi Zhiyuan Technology Co., Ltd., Wuhu Fujiheng Machinery Co., Ltd., Yingxing Financial Leasing (Anhui) Co., Ltd., and Tri Water New Energy Technology. The Wuhu Shipyard headquarters covers an area of 1,210,700 square meters, with a total shoreline of 1,355 meters, and has two 80,000-ton slipways and one 740-meter outfitting wharf; the Weihai base covers 680 mu (approximately 45 hectares).