Recently, Wuchang Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in collaboration with China Shipbuilding Trading (CSTC), successfully signed a contract with the traditional Danish shipping company NORDEN for the construction of 2+1 23,000 DWT GCVs. This collaboration marks another significant breakthrough for Wuchang Shipbuilding in the high-end Nordic shipbuilding market.
On March 27, the shipowner NORDEN announced the shipbuilding contract. The new vessel is expected to be delivered in 2028 and has already secured a long-term charter agreement with the Swedish mining group LKAB for a maximum term of 10 years, primarily to transport bentonite from Greece to northern Sweden.
Wuchang Shipbuilding stated that the vessel type covered by this contract is a multi-purpose dry cargo ship developed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), capable of flexibly carrying dry bulk cargo, general cargo, and other goods to meet diverse logistics needs. The vessel has an overall length of 165.00 meters, a beam of 23.40 meters, a depth of 13.55 meters, and a design draft of 8.60 meters. At a designed speed of 14.0 knots, it has a range of 10,000 nautical miles and a deadweight tonnage of 22,500 tons, and is equipped with two 80-ton cranes.
This vessel model incorporates advanced green and low-carbon design principles and fully complies with the latest international standards, including Ice class1A, IMO Tier III emissions standards, and EEDI III. It demonstrates significant competitive advantages in energy efficiency, environmental performance, operational efficiency, application versatility, and cargo handling capabilities.
Founded in 1871 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, NORDEN is listed on the Nasdaq Denmark. As a traditional shipping company with over 150 years of history, NORDEN has extensive expertise in ship management and operations. It currently manages and operates more than 400 vessels, with a total carrying capacity exceeding 1.7 million deadweight tons. Its specialized, large-scale, and global business operations provide a solid foundation and ample opportunities for cooperation between the two parties.
As a key shipbuilding enterprise under CSSC, Wuchang Shipbuilding has built up extensive expertise in the fields of green and smart vessels and high-end offshore engineering equipment. In recent years, the company has successfully delivered a series of landmark projects, including LNG-powered offshore engineering vessels, wind-assisted methanol-powered ro-ro ships, high-end chemical tankers, and feeder container ships, gradually establishing a specialized shipbuilding system capable of meeting diverse operational requirements.
Securing this contract to build two 23,000 DWT GCV vessels plus one additional vessel marks another milestone for Wuchang Shipbuilding in its expansion into the Nordic market.
Through this collaboration, Wuchang Shipbuilding will establish a long-term strategic partnership with a renowned Nordic shipowner, laying a solid foundation for in-depth collaborative development between the two parties.