COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry is moving ahead with plans for an RMB8bn ($1.1bn) shipbuilding base in Tianjin featuring two VLCC-scale drydocks， adding another significant block of capacity to China’s rapidly expanding shipbuilding industry.

New environmental filings show the greenfield yard will occupy 145.9 hectares in Tianjin’s Lingang Economic Area and use around 1，736 m of coastline.

The centrepieces will be two huge 550-m-long drydocks. One will measure 80 m across and the second 72 m， with both designed to accommodate ships of up to 300，000 dwt.

The development will also include three 300，000 dwt outfitting berths， although the third will be built at a later stage， as well as a smaller materials terminal and 448，000 sq m of workshops and production facilities.

Large bulk carriers and containerships will be the yard’s principal targets， with the first newbuild deliveries scheduled for 2029. The facility will also pursue higher-value and more technically complex ship types.