On May 5, Hengli Heavy Industries signed a shipbuilding contract with the European shipowner BEACON TANKERS for two 158,000 DWT Suezmax tankers, with an option for two additional vessels of the same type, thereby marking the commencement of their first collaboration.
Suezmax tankers have become the primary vessel type constructed by Hengli Heavy Industries; this year alone, the company has secured orders for a total of 20 such vessels—including a bulk order of nine vessels from Greece’s Dynacom Tankers and a single vessel from Greece’s Uthalden. All these new vessels are based on designs developed in-house by Hengli Heavy Industries, a factor that facilitates rhythmic and batch-based production.
Hengli Heavy Industries stated that the 20 Suezmax tankers contracted this year demonstrate its independent design capabilities and construction expertise within this specific vessel segment; moreover, they signify a new competitive landscape for China’s private shipbuilders in the international market for mainstream tanker classes.
According to data released by Hengli Heavy Industries a few days ago, as of April 30, the company had secured new orders for 126 vessels this year—covering mainstream vessel types such as oil tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships—a figure that has already surpassed its full-year target of 115 vessels for 2025.
Among the shipbuilding projects finalized this year, Hengli Heavy Industries has officially announced orders for two 93,000 m³ LPG dual-fuel Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) and two 306,000 DWT LNG dual-fuel Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)—marking a major breakthrough for the shipyard in both the newbuilding market and the field of ship construction.
In addition to securing new shipbuilding orders, on May 5, Hengli Heavy Industries held a naming ceremony for two 82,000 DWT bulk carriers it is building for Dynacom. The new vessels were named “OTHONOI” and “ZAKYNTHOS,” respectively.
Dynacom was one of Hengli Heavy Industries’ first overseas shipowners; the first 306,000 DWT VLCC independently designed and built by the shipyard was constructed specifically for this client. To date, the two parties have collaborated on the construction and delivery of two 306,000 DWT VLCCs and 11 82,000 DWT bulk carriers.
As a key partner of Hengli Heavy Industry, in addition to the nine Suezmax tankers mentioned earlier, Dynacom has also ordered several 306,000 DWT VLCCs from Hengli Heavy Industries this year.