On March 23, China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Group Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard (Yangzhou Dingheng), and Nanjing Tanker Corporation (NJTC) held a signing ceremony in Nanjing to secure a contractfor the construction of four high-end vessels, comprising chemical tankers and liquefied gas carriers.
According to reports, the four vessels covered by this contract belong to two high-end flagship models: three 6,600-ton stainless steel chemical tankers will be built by Yangzhou Dingheng, China Merchants Shipbuilding Group Nanjing Shipyard has secured a contract to build a 7,600-cubic-meter liquefied gas carrier. Yangzhou Dingheng and Nanjing Shipyard operate under a unified management team, working closely and sharing resources to strengthen the Group’s foundation in the construction of high-end liquid cargo carriers.
According to previous reports, the tax-inclusive contract value for the three 6,600-ton stainless steel chemical tankers is 492 million yuan, and they are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2028. The new vessels are designed and constructed in accordance with the Classification Society’s “Green Ship Code,” as well as the latest emission standards issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and domestic regulatory authorities. They incorporate new energy-saving equipment and technologies, feature conventional fuel main engines with provisions for methanol dual-fuel conversion, and meet the requirements of the third-phase Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) standards.
According to its official website, Nanjing Tanker Corporation is a specialized oil tanker shipping company under China Merchants Group and a key enterprise engaged in river-sea combined transport within the Changjiang Shipping Group. Established in 1993 and listed on the A-share market in 1997, the company is headquartered in Nanjing. It currently operates a fleet of 74 vessels with a total deadweight tonnage of 2.81 million tons and an annual transport capacity exceeding 44 million metric tons.
As the core base for the construction of high-end liquid cargo vessels for China Merchants Shipping, Yangzhou Dingheng has been deeply involved in this sector for many years. It is a national-level high-tech enterprise and a specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SME. Its “handy-size chemical tanker” has been recognized as a national-level “Single Champion Product” in the manufacturing sector, and the company ranks among the world’s leaders in both the order book for small and medium-sized chemical tankers and the number of vessels delivered over the past decade. The two vessel types contracted for this project are currently the leading high-end models in the liquid cargo transport market, precisely aligning with China Merchants South Oil’s strategic needs to optimize its fleet structure and enhance its core competitiveness.
China Merchants Shipbuilding Group Nanjing Shipyard, which is responsible for the construction of the 7,600-cubic-meter liquefied gas carrier project, was formerly known as Nanjing Dongze Shipbuilding. In December 2025, Nanjing Dongze Shipbuilding completed its restructuring and investment, setting sail once again under the new identity of CM Nanjing Shipyard. This marked the completion of the restructuring and integration of CM Nanjing Shipyard, which has now fully integrated into the China Merchants Shipbuilding system under its new identity.
CM Nanjing Shipyard covers approximately 300,000 square meters, with 1 kilometer of waterfront and sufficient water depth at the docks. It features two 50,000-ton wide-body slipways, each equipped with one 200-ton and one 150-ton gantry crane, and has constructed one deep-water basin. The facility includes construction workshops for steel processing, section fabrication, and painting, as well as other supporting buildings and facilities, capable of meeting the construction needs of its primary vessel types. The land at CM Nanjing Shipyard has not yet been fully utilized, leaving room for future expansion.