Shipbroker Xclusiv Shipbrokers reports that Italian shipowner Navalmed has placed an order with Zongyang Shipyard of Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company for a 40,800 DWT oil and chemical tanker, which is expected to be delivered in 2029.
Public records show that Navalmed is part of the Italian Brullo family’s shipping group. The company specializes in stainless-steel chemical tankers and product tankers, operates primarily in the Mediterranean and Northern European shipping markets, and flies the Italian flag.
Notably, Navalmed’s sister company, Augusta Due SRL, recently placed an order for three 40,800 DWT oil and chemical tankers at the Zongyang Shipyard of Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company.
Public records indicate that Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Company was established on February 27, 2025; construction on the company’s Zongyang Shipyard project began the very next day, and the shipyard officially commenced production on June 25.
The Zongyang Shipyard was formerly Anhui Dongfang Shipbuilding—Anhui Province’s largest private shipbuilding enterprise—which had been invested in and built by the Zhejiang Dongfang Shipbuilding Group. The Dongfang Shipbuilding Anhui base was completed and put into operation in 2008. However, as the shipbuilding industry entered a downturn, Dongfang Shipbuilding fell into an operational crisis and subsequently sought to divest assets and undergo restructuring.
In November 2024, Anhui Port & Shipping Group and Shandong Port Group signed a letter of intent for investment in Qingdao. The two parties agreed to restructure and revitalize existing assets, overhaul technical and management systems, and accelerate the implementation of the Dongfang Shipbuilding project in Zongyang County, ultimately successfully revitalizing the Zongyang Shipyard owned by Anhui Port & Shipping Sealand Equipment Co., Ltd.
As a key smart shipbuilding base developed by Anhui Port & Shipping Group, the Zongyang Shipyard project involved a total investment of 670 million yuan and took just four months from the start of construction to the commencement of operations; its primary business activities include shipbuilding, maintenance, and dismantling. According to the development plan, the shipyard will focus on the R&D of new-energy vessels, high-end equipment manufacturing, and port-logistics synergy. It will prioritize breakthroughs in the R&D and production of clean-energy equipment—such as electric and hydrogen-fueled vessels—with the aim of establishing a demonstration base for smart shipbuilding in the Yangtze River Basin.