On April 22, Fujian Highton Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Highton Development”) issued an announcement stating that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Haitong International Shipping Co., Ltd., signed a shipbuilding contract with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding to construct four 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels.
The announcement disclosed that the total investment amount will not exceed RMB 1.2 billion (excluding tax, approximately USD 176 million), and the funding sources include self-owned funds and financing from financial institutions.
Highton Development stated that this investment will help optimize the fleet structure, expand capacity, enhance market competitiveness and profitability, and is in line with the company’s strategic plan. However, due to the long construction period of the vessels, there may be risks such as delays in delivery.
It is understood that this is the second collaboration between the two parties this year. On January 7, Highton Development and Taizhou Kouan shipbuilding signed a contract for seven 60,800 DWT bow-riding multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with a price of approximately RMB 300 million per vessel.
The 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessel is the world’s largest in terms of deadweight tonnage. It is 199.9 meters long, 32.26 meters wide, and 19.3 meters deep, with a full-load draft of 13.5 meters. Equipped with four heavy-lift cranes on each side, the maximum combined lifting capacity reaches 300 tons, allowing for flexible loading of heavy equipment and cargo of various sizes. In line with the new trends of green, low-carbon, and intelligent shipping, this vessel meets Phase 3 EEDI standards and Tier III NOx emission requirements. Combining its large deadweight tonnage and box-type structure, this vessel boasts excellent cargo adaptability and the ability to transport large quantities of engineering project materials.