On July 23, Hubei Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding formally signed a contract with SONGA BOX HOLDCO AS, a leading Norwegian shipowner, for the construction of 2+2+2 1,300-TEU container ships.
This container ship was developed by the Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI) of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and will be classified by the Korea Register of Shipping. This ship type will build on SDARI’s proven strengths in hull form optimization and green, energy-efficient technologies, addressing the operational needs of both deep-sea and coastal routes to provide shipowners with superior operational efficiency.
Building on SDARI’s world-leading ship design capabilities, this 1,300 TEU container ship will achieve significant reductions in operating costs and substantial improvements in energy efficiency through the seamless integration of optimized hull forms, lightweight construction, and a high-efficiency propulsion system. With its “green core”, it responds to the urgent global call for emissions reduction in shipping and helps shipowners gain a competitive edge in the international shipping market through low-carbon operations.
This is the second new ship order secured by Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding this year. On June 12, the shipbuilder signed a contract with Dubai-based shipowner EMARAT MARITIME to build 3+3 900-TEU coastal feeder container ships.
This 900-TEU container ship was also designed by SDARI and is classified by the China Classification Society. The vessel offers significant advantages, including energy efficiency, versatility across a wide range of routes, and excellent value for money, making it the preferred choice in today’s coastal and feeder shipping markets.
According to reports, Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding is located in Wuxue City, Hubei Province—a deep-water port in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River—and is a large state-owned shipyard invested in and constructed by the Wuxue municipal government. The facility is equipped with an intelligent integrated combined workshop, has an annual steel processing capacity of 200,000 tons, and features 10 horizontal shipbuilding slipways and a 1,200-meter barge dock. From the outset, it has the capacity to build 30 container ships or bulk carriers annually.
In March 2025, construction officially began on Guangji Green Energy Shipbuilding’s project to produce new-energy vessels with an annual capacity of 1 million deadweight tons (DWT). Covering an area of 1,640 mu with a planned total investment of 3.5 billion yuan, the project entails the construction of six production workshops—including facilities for hull assembly, block assembly and welding, outfitting, piping, material distribution, and painting—as well as five sets of building berths, one longitudinal slipway, four outfitting berths, and supporting infrastructure. Upon completion, the project is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 1 million DWT of new-energy vessels and generate an annual output value exceeding 4 billion yuan.