Jingjiang's shipbuilders get off to flying start in 2024

A 7,000 TEU dual-fuel container ship, manufactured by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, steers a course. [Photo by Hu Junliang/tznews.cn]

Shipbuilding companies in Jingjiang – a county-level city administered by Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province – are currently on the move, forging ahead as they aim for a robust start to the year.

One of them, Jiangsu New Times Shipbuilding Co Ltd, is innovating towards eco-friendly practices, developing dual-fuel vessels and advanced green ship designs.

The group has moved into digitalization and automation to improve efficiency and it's highly regarded globally for its prized oil tankers, LNG dual-fuel ships and large container vessels.

According to Clarkson Research, in 2023 the company received orders for 59 oil tankers totaling 1.7 million gross tonnes, ranking it first globally in its field of endeavor.

Production manager Chen Yuefeng highlighted the company's efficient production rhythm and focus on intelligent production since January. The plan is to deliver 31 ships totaling 3.92 million dead weight tons in 2024.

"With 101 orders totaling 13.27 million DWT, we've hit a new high," says Chen, emphasizing the company's commitment to quality, efficiency and timely deliveries. They aim to strengthen their lean management, improve production processes, shorten construction cycles and promote high-tech shipbuilding through technological innovation.

Elsewhere, the Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group Ltd – located in the Jiangyin-Jingjiang Industrial Park – started the year with a sprint, quickly securing its first order.

The order, from Ocean Network Express (ONE), is for six 13,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit, or TEU, methanol dual-fuel container ships.

These vessels will feature advanced technologies – such as waste heat recovery systems and windbreaks, as well as air lubrication systems and shaft generators – to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Wang Haiqing, deputy director of the Jingjiang industry and information technology bureau, says that Jingjiang has attracted leading companies, forming a new industrial cluster in the automotive, shipbuilding, machinery and electronics sectors.