en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 13, Soho Innovation Technology Group signed a construction contract with Hong Kong shipowner KC MARITIME for two 63,500 DWT bulk carriers.

The new vessels will be built by Soho Innovation Technology Shipbuilding (formerly Shuntian Shipbuilding (Yangzhou)), a subsidiary of Soho Innovation Technology Group. Zhou An, Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of Soho Innovation Technology Group, and Abhijit Ghosh, Vice President of KC MARITIME, along with representatives from both companies, attended and witnessed the signing. Chen Shangwei, Party Committee Member and General Manager Assistant of Soho Innovation Technology Group, and Patrick Turner, Director of KC MARITIME, formally signed the contract on behalf of both parties.

The contract price has not been disclosed. According to Clarksons data, the current newbuilding price for 61,000-64,500 DWT bulk carriers is approximately $35.25 million (about RMB 239 million), up about 5% from $33.5 million in the same period last year.

The 63,500 DWT bulk carrier signed this time is driven by a single engine and single propeller, with a length overall of 199.9 meters, a beam of 32.26 meters, a depth of 18.9 meters, a structural draft of 13.5 meters, a service speed of 13.5 knots, and a maximum endurance of 20,000 nautical miles.

With its green, environmentally friendly, and energy-saving features, this vessel type has become one of the mainstream ship types favored in the current international ship market.

KC MARITIME is the shipping arm of the century-old Chellaram Group, deeply engaged in the global dry bulk shipping sector for decades, with routes covering all major trunk waterways worldwide. The company has established stable cooperative relationships with global top grain traders, professional ship charterers, and large shipping operators, with a diversified business layout and a good reputation in the international shipping market.

Soho Innovation Technology Group is a subsidiary of Soho Holding Group, a large wholly state-owned enterprise group in Jiangsu Province. It was established in April 2024 through the integration and restructuring of Shuntian Machinery, Shuntian Minmetals, and Shuntian Assets. Shuntian Shipbuilding (Yangzhou), formerly under Shuntian Assets, was also merged into the group and renamed Jiangsu Soho Innovation Technology Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

Shuntian Shipbuilding (Yangzhou) is the largest modern shipbuilding enterprise among provincial state-owned enterprises in Jiangsu Province, covering an area of approximately 1,050 mu, with a coastline of 930 meters. It has one dry dock, one slipway, two outfitting quays, two 500-ton gantry cranes, and advanced shipbuilding specialized equipment. Its main products include bulk carriers, container ships, heavy-lift ships, multi-purpose vessels, and offshore engineering ships under 100,000 DWT.

Since its restructuring and establishment, Soho Innovation Technology Group has secured a total of 37 orders for the same series of 63,500 DWT bulk carriers. The successful signing with KC MARITIME further consolidates its competitive advantage in the international bulk carrier market and marks the formal establishment of a long-term cooperative relationship between the two parties.

Excluding the latest orders, Clarksons data shows that as of now, Soho Innovation Technology Shipbuilding holds a total of 26 orders amounting to 1.4815 million DWT, including 21 bulk carriers, 4 container ships, and 1 tugboat, with delivery schedules extending to 2029.