On August 6, CSSC’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. (CSTC) kicked off construction on the first of six 49,900 DWT chemical/product tankers ordered by Minsheng Financial Leasing; on the same day, the three parties signed contracts for an additional five vessels of the same type, bringing the total project order to 11 vessels.
This 49,900 DWT chemical/product tanker represents the 16th generation of MR tankers independently developed and continuously upgraded by GSI. Precisely tailored to the demands of the global refined oil transport market, the vessel features comprehensive optimizations to its hull and propulsion systems; it incorporates low-carbon, eco-friendly design principles throughout, aligning with global trends in shipping emission reductions.
Upon delivery, the new vessels will be leased to and operated by the global energy giant Shell Tankers, with which Minsheng Financial Leasing has already signed a lease agreement.
GSI stated that this project marks the first in-depth collaboration between GSI and Shell Tankers, with Minsheng Financial Leasing providing a distinctive “China solution” that integrates industrial and financial capabilities.
As one of the first bank-affiliated financial leasing companies in China, Minsheng Financial Leasing’s inaugural collaboration with GSI represents not only a continuation of its partnership with CSSC-affiliated shipbuilders but also another successful implementation of the “shipbuilding plus leasing” model. This initiative further tightens the industrial value chain—comprising the lessee (Shell), the leasing company (Minsheng Financial Leasing), and the shipbuilder (GSI)—establishing a new paradigm for the synergistic symbiosis of industry and finance.