From September 16 to 19, the 2026 National Advanced Manufacturing Cluster for High-Tech Ships and Marine Equipment Equipment (Nantong) Development Promotion Conference was held in Nantong. During the exhibition, Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery (ZPMC) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Jiangsu Branch of the China Classification Society and a contract with Henghui Shipping for a project involving 2+2 38,000 DWT heavy-lift vessels.
ZPMC entered the multi-purpose heavy-lift vessel market two years ago. In August 2024, the company secured its first order in this sector by signing a contract with Chipolbrok (Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company) for the construction of two 38,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with an option for two additional ships.
This 38,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessel is equipped with three 250-tonne cranes, offering a combined lifting capacity of 500 tonnes. It features two extra-long cargo holds—with a maximum length of 76.8 meters—and a continuous open deck, making it exceptionally well-suited for loading and transporting large-scale machinery, equipment, and project cargo; it boasts superior cargo versatility and significant capacity for handling project-related materials. Additionally, the vessel incorporates energy-saving features such as rudder bulbs and wake-equalizing ducts, as well as a high-voltage shore power system; combined with an optimized hull design, these features further reduce energy consumption and emissions.
In addition to the recently announced orders for multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, ZPMC has also disclosed contracts this year for the construction of two cable-laying vessels and one trailing suction hopper dredger.
Data indicates that ZPMC is a prominent enterprise in the heavy equipment manufacturing industry. It has long maintained a global market share of over 70% for port machinery, positioning it as the world’s largest manufacturer of port machinery and automated terminal system solutions, as well as the largest transporter of port machinery. The company is also a globally renowned manufacturer of specialized engineering vessels and large-scale steel structures, with products serving 111 countries and regions worldwide.