The Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project—a new shipbuilding base developed by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding at great expense—is one step closer to full completion and commencement of operations by the end of 2026. One 1,800-ton and one 400-ton shipbuilding gantry crane, built as part of the shipyard’s infrastructure, have already been delivered.
Both shipbuilding gantry cranes were manufactured by Nantong Rainbow Heavy Machineries Co., Ltd. (RHM).
This 1,800-ton gantry crane has a span of 178 meters and a lifting height of 90 meters. Featuring a single-girder design, it is suitable for large-span shipyard operations. The crane is equipped with multiple independent trolleys, supporting various operating modes such as single-lift, tandem lifting, and in-air turning of ship sections. It has a tandem lifting capacity of 1,800 tons and a turning capacity of 1,000 tons, capable of meeting the high-intensity lifting requirements for large ship sections, such as those used in clean energy vessels.
It is understood that Jiangsu Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding, the entity responsible for implementing the Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project, was established in April 2024 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding.
In July 2024, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding signed an agreement with Xinqiao Town (Xinqiao Industrial Park) in Jingjiang for the Yangzi Hongyuan Green High-Tech Clean Energy Shipbuilding Base project, marking the establishment of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s new shipbuilding base in Jingjiang.
In 2025, Jiangsu Province designated the Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project as a major provincial project; in February, construction officially began, with completion and commencement of operations scheduled for the end of 2026.
The project is expected to involve an investment of 3 billion yuan (approximately $445 million) over two years. With a shoreline length of approximately 1,320 meters, it will include the construction of one 300,000-ton shipbuilding dry dock, one 200,000-ton outfitting berth, and one 100,000-ton harbor basin, with an annual production capacity of approximately 800,000 deadweight tons.
As a key component of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s transformation and upgrading, the Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project aims to establish a world-class demonstration zone for the high-quality development of clean-energy gas-powered vessels. Guided by the planning principles of intelligence and digitization, the project will implement modern shipbuilding models and construct a modern smart factory. Upon completion, it will serve as Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s primary base for building its current order backlog of green, clean-energy vessels.
Currently, Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding has scheduled production for its first batch of new ship orders. The supporting facilities on the shipyard grounds—including the machining shop, block shop, and piping and outfitting shop—became fully operational in April 2026, and the first newly built vessel is expected to be delivered in 2027.
Records indicate that Yangzijiang Shipbuilding traces its history back to 1956, originating as a shipbuilding and repair cooperative. Following a series of milestones—including relocating the shipyard in 1975, restructuring into a joint-stock company in 1999, constructing a new facility across the river in 2005, and listing on the stock exchange in 2007—the company has become the first Chinese shipbuilder to list in Singapore and has grown into a leading private shipbuilding enterprise in China.
Currently, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding operates a total of six shipyards. Yangtze Hongyuan Shipbuilding and Yangzi Hongda Ship Repair & Construction were established in 2024 and 2026, respectively, and are considered new shipyards. The remaining four are New Yangtze Shipbuilding, Yangtze Xinfu Shipbuilding, Yangtze Mitsui Shipbuilding, and Zhoushan Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, which completed its capital injection in March 2025.