en.Wedoany.com Reported - Wuchuan (Nantong) Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. recently released the "First Public Notice on Environmental Impact Assessment of the High-End Ship and Offshore Engineering Equipment Manufacturing Project." This marks substantial progress by Wuhu Shipyard in revitalizing the core assets of the former Rongsheng Heavy Industry and establishing a large-scale shipbuilding base.
According to the notice, the project has a total investment of 1 billion yuan. It will lease the R&D and administrative office building, Phase II production workshop, painting workshop, warehouse, Dock No. 2, Dock No. 3, and Phase II outfitting wharf and other supporting facilities of Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. The project will renovate and upgrade these facilities to meet shipbuilding production and safe operation requirements, restoring shipbuilding capacity. Upon completion, the annual production capacity is expected to include 10 bulk carriers of 211,000 DWT, 4 oil tankers of 319,000 DWT, and 8 bulk carriers of 50,000 DWT.
Wuchuan (Nantong) Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. is a joint venture established by Wuhu Shipyard and Rugao Lingang Park Development Co., Ltd., with Wuhu Shipyard holding a 60% stake and Rugao Lingang Park Development Co., Ltd. holding 40%. The company revitalizes two of the four large dry docks and supporting facilities of the former Rongsheng Heavy Industry through leasing, aiming to break through the production bottleneck at its Wuhu headquarters. Its main businesses include shipbuilding, repair, research and development, and manufacturing of offshore engineering equipment and offshore wind power equipment. Leveraging large docks and high-end equipment, the company will focus on building large container ships, bulk carriers, and offshore engineering equipment, becoming the core base for Wuhu Shipyard's cross-river layout, revitalizing existing capacity, and expanding into the high-end shipbuilding market in the Yangtze River Delta.
In January this year, Wuhu Shipyard established a Nantong shipbuilding construction project team, investing funds and manpower to advance the project. According to the plan, the Nantong base will undertake the construction of large vessels such as VLCC ultra-large crude oil carriers and Newcastlemax bulk carriers in the future, to improve its product structure.
The former Rongsheng Heavy Industry plant covers a vast area and boasts an ultra-long, high-quality deep-water Yangtze River shoreline. The shipyard was founded in 2005 and officially commenced production in 2006. At its peak, it was one of the largest single shipyards in China, equipped with four large dry docks, multiple 10,000-ton gantry cranes, and complete shipbuilding facilities including block fabrication workshops, painting workshops, and outfitting wharves, providing full-process hardware support for building ultra-large vessels, with an annual peak shipbuilding capacity reaching millions of deadweight tons. After a complete production halt in 2014 due to a funding chain rupture, a large amount of its high-quality assets remained idle for a long time. By leasing and reactivating two of its 300,000-ton large docks and supporting facilities, Wuhu Shipyard has not only revitalized existing assets but also gained the capability to build ultra-large vessels.
Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd. was established on January 2, 2003, with its predecessor being the Fujiheng Machinery Factory founded in 1900, boasting a 126-year history. The company is a key shipbuilding enterprise in Anhui Province, holding a Class I, Grade A shipbuilding qualification, and has set multiple domestic shipbuilding records. As a key Chinese ship export enterprise, its products are exported to many European countries. In 2023, its export contract value grew significantly, with orders on hand extending to 2028. By revitalizing Rongsheng Heavy Industry's production capacity, Wuhu Shipyard has acquired large-scale shipbuilding capabilities and received support from the local Nantong government. It primarily utilizes Rongsheng Heavy Industry's site for the construction of large blocks and mega-blocks, as well as docking and assembly processes.
Currently, Wuhu Shipyard has established a production layout comprising three major bases: "Wuhu Headquarters + Weihai Base + Nantong Base." The Wuhu headquarters covers an area of 1,210,700 square meters, equipped with four slipways and an 850-meter outfitting wharf. The Weihai base is equipped with one 100,000-ton dock and two 50,000-ton slipways, featuring intelligent cutting and blanking workshops and intelligent component assembly and welding workshops, with an annual output value reaching 5 billion yuan. The Nantong base has two 300,000-ton dry docks, with a total shoreline exceeding 1,200 meters.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
