On October 10, 2019, Qingdao Shipyard Co.,Ltd. held a naming ceremony for the construction of the first large ship. This 260,000 DWT bulk carrier, “MINERAL YANGFAN”, will be delivered to CMB.

Qingdao Shipyard Co., founded in 1949, completed its upgrading with the support of Huatong Group.

This vessel is jointly constructed by Qingdao Shipyard Co., Ltd. and China Ship Design & Research Center Co.,Ltd. (CSDC). And it is 300 meters in length, 50 meters in width and 24.9 meters in depth.

The design draught is 16 meters and it is classified as LR, which carrying 206,000 DWT cargo.

South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries has signed shipbuilding deals for Evergreen’s latest ultra-large containerships, valued at a total of USD 920 million.

The order was placed for the construction of six of the world’s largest container ships, with a capacity of 23,000 TEUs, by May 2022.

The giants will feature a length of 400 meters and a width of 61.5 meters. They will be capable of transporting 23,764 twenty-foot containers at once.

The order exceeds Samsung Heavy’s previous ultra-large container ship, which can transport 23,756 containers, delivered to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in July 2019.

Samsung Heavy said the vessels will be equipped with its latest smart ship technologies for low fuel consumption and safe sailing.

The latest contract has pushed Samsung Heavy’s order to USD 5.1 billion so far this year. It now includes 35 vessels, meeting 65 percent of the shipbuilder’s annual target of USD 7.8 billion.

In September 2019, the Taiwanese shipping major Evergreen confirmed its plans to build a total of ten 23,000 TEU containerships at three shipyards. The company said that China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding would construct another two ships each. The value of the entire order stands between USD 1.4 billion and USD 1.6 billion.

In 2017, Blue Whale I, the core equipment for exploring combustible ice, successfully explored the combustible ice in the Shenhu Area (in the northern South China Sea) with two world’s records for total gas production and gas production timeline. Its first sea trial offers valuable experience in technological improvement and operation preparation for Blue Whale II.

On September 26th, the naming ceremony of asemi-submersible drilling platform was held in Yantai Yard of CIMC RAFFLES. The name “Blue Whale” was awarded. Officials, leaders, suppliers, financial institutions from China Geological Survey, Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey,Yantai government, CNPC Offshore Engineering Company Limited and CIMC RAFFLES attended this ceremony.

“Blue Whale II” which was designed and built by CIMC Raffles is the deepest drilling and operation drilling rig with operation depth up to 3,658 meters and drilling depth up to 15,240 meters. The length of the rig is 117m, the width is 92.7m and the height is 118m.Furthermore, it can be operated within 95% sea worldwide. Compared with the normal single tower platform, “Blue whale II” is equipped with high-efficiency hydraulic dual towers and the state-of-the-art closed-cycle dynamic system (DP3), which can improve efficiency by 30% in operation and meanwhile saving fuel consumption up to 10%.

Both “Blue Whale I” and “Blue Whale II” are built with the same design, but there are major innovations in this project. During the sea trial, it is the first time to complete the closed-cycle dynamic systemin China, making substantial progress in offshore energy and dynamic system.

On September 25th, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. built the world’s first LNG-powered containership (23,000TEU) for CMA CGM at the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard, which was a gift for the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France as well as a model for friendly cooperation among Sino-French companies.

With 400-meter long and 61-meter wide, the largest vessel can carry almost 220,000 DWT with a service speed of 22 knots under the French flag.

The exceptionally large vessel can carry 22,000 40 FT. reefer containers. Furthermore, it is fitted with a capacity of 18,600 cubic meters Mark III membrane insulation system. It is powered by LNG and it can meet the strictest emission standards (IMO EEDI Phase three). Compared with similar tankers, this ultra-large containership has reduced sulfur oxide emissions by approximately 20% and nitrogen oxides by approximately 85% as well as 99% emission of sulfur oxides and fine particles. The structure of the ship and the layout of Reefer containers carried in the hold have further been optimized, which reduces the operating cost significantly for a single box and further meeting the diversified operational requirements of shipowners.

Japanese shipowner NYK has placed an order at domestic yard Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding for the construction of a single LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier (PCTC).

The ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2020 and is expected to be the largest LNG-fueled PCTC in the world.

The 7,000 ceu car carrier will also be equipped with the technology to reduce further CO2 emissions, with the support by Japan’s Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism’s model project to reduce emissions by using alternative fuel.

NYK claims the ship will be about 40% more energy-efficient in terms of reducing CO2 emissions per unit of transport, far exceeding IMO EEDI phase 3 requirements that will become effective in 2025, and the vessel is also expected to reduce sulfur oxide emissions by approximately 99% and nitrogen oxides by approximately 86% compared to conventional heavy fuel engines.

NYK is a firm believer of LNG as a fuel,and it has been making a series of efforts on the development of LNG as part of the company’s medium-term plan Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green.

NYK launched there world’s first LNG-fueled car carrier Auto Eco in 2016 and also issued green bonds last year to finance LNG-fueled ships and LNG bunkering vessels.

Chinese shipowner Tianjin Southwest Maritime (TSM) has placed an order at CSSC’s Jiangnan for the construction of three 86,000 cum LPG-fueled VLGCs.

The latest order comes shortly after the company exercised an option to build one VLGC of the same size at the yard in August.

Delivery of the new ships are scheduled in 2022 and the price is around $73m each. The ships will be chartered to Wanhua Chemical, which secured a 10-year LPG supply contract with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) earlier this year.

Wanhua and ADNOC are also creating an LPG shipping joint venture which will look at opportunities to develop petrochemicals and derivatives in both UAE and China.

TSM currently operates a fleet of 24 vessels, made of seven tankers and 17 LPG carriers. Last month, the company also ordered a 9,500 cum multi-gas carrier at CSSC’s Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding.

On September 17, a time charter was signed between Shandong Shipping Corporation (Hereinafter referred to as “Shandong Shipping”) and Royal Dutch /Shell Group of Companies (hereinafter referred to as “Shell Group”) for eight 50000 DWT IMOII product chemical MR tankers in Jinan.

Shandong Shipping operated a fleet of 64 ships with a total capacity of 8.32m TEU, making it the third-largest liner in China before signing the charter. In terms of the dry bulk carrier, it has the first 250,000 DWT ore carrier as well as the largest 400,000 DWT ore fleet in the world; In the liquid and bulk cargo carrier section, it possesses three MR product tankers. After that, its total capacity will increase to 8.72m TEU. The company also has 11 oil and chemical ships, ranking the third in China.
On the same day, Shandong Shipping also signed a joint lease agreement with ICBC Leasing for four 82,000 DWT Kamsarmax bulkers and a time charter with Bunge.

When closed these contracts, Shandong Marine Group Ltd. will remain the third place in China with a total capacity of 9.43m TEU.

On September 16, AVIC Dingheng Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. had a naming ceremony for the 6^th 16300 DWT dual-fuel chemical tanker, named as “RAMELIA”, which was delivered to the shipowner.

Christian Nilsson, President of Älvtank, Lars Höglund, President of Furetank and the person in charge of the vessel and Sun Yan, Chairman of AVIC Ship attend this ceremony.

So far, the number of vessels delivered by AVIC Dingheng is ten and the company is poised to meet the delivery goal of twelve vessels annually.

Gothia Tanker Alliance has more than 40 chemical tankers.

Shortly, the 7^th 16300DWT tankers for oil products and chemicals plus the coming 8^th chemical tankers and other 11 vessels, the state-of-the-art tankers, which will be a new trend in Nordic chemical tankers.

Taiwanese line Evergreen has confirmed a major ship-building project which involves the construction of ten 23,000 TEU containerships at three shipyards, scrapping plans announced last month to charter up to 11 mega box ships.

The company will order six ships at South Korean yard Samsung Heavy Industries, and two ships each at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding. The total value of the orders is between $1.4bn and $1.6bn.

Evergreen said the decision was made after further evaluation of fleet expansion plans and the company believed that the new ship-building orders would further accelerate the fleet optimization.

These new ships will be the largest in Evergreen’s fleet and they will be deployed on routes to Europe and West America.

According to Alphaliner, Evergreen currently operates a fleet of 206 ships with a total capacity of 1.3m TEU, making it the seventh-largest liner in the world. The company also has an order of 58 ships with a total capacity of 336,544 TEU, accounting for 25.8% of its existing fleet capacity.

South Korean owner H-Line has placed an order at domestic yard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for the construction of a 174,000 cum LNG carrier.

According to Hyundai Samho, delivery of the ship is scheduled by the end of 2021. The total value of the order is KRW228bn ($191m).

H-Line currently owns a fleet of 36 bulk carriers and three LNG carriers and has an order of 10 Capesize bulkers.

Hyundai Heavy Industries now has the largest order of large LNG carriers in the world, a total of 36 vessels.