China has launched its first domestically built electromagnetic catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed and put into operation its first large homegrown cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, and become a global leader in the construction of large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China became the world's only country capable of fully constructing all three major types of high-end vessels: aircraft carriers, large cruise ships, and large LNG carriers, collectively known as the "Three Pearls on the Crown" of shipbuilding.
China's shipbuilding industry has demonstrated comprehensive, world-class strength in building ultra-large, high-tech and high-value-added vessels.
Liu Ersen, deputy director of a research center at China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), pointed out three factors underpinning this achievement: innovation-driven development, clustered development, and coordinated industrial development.
"China's shipbuilding industry has led the world for 15 consecutive years," Liu noted. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Chinese shipyards accounted for 64.2 percent of global new ship orders, an increase of 15.1 percentage points compared with the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), according to Liu.
Since 2021, China's shipbuilding industry has accelerated its transformation and upgrading. Digital inspections, painting robots, and other intelligent technologies are increasingly empowering ship construction. High-end vessels such as large LNG carriers, ultra-large container ships, and car carriers now account for 9.3 percent, 18 percent, and 6 percent of the market, respectively.
The "Al Mas'habiyyah," an LNG carrier with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, was delivered to Qatar Energy's LNG transportation project in July. It was the sixth LNG carrier supplied to the project by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the CSSC, bringing the company's total LNG carrier deliveries to 51.
"From 2021 to 2025, our global market share rose from 8 percent to about 20 percent," said Song Wei, chief engineer at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd.
A major driving force of this progress is the rising localization rate of key equipment. "The first LNG carrier relied on just over 20 Chinese suppliers, and today more than 130 domestic companies support the entire industrial chain," said Weng Hongbing, general manager of the company.
At the company's production base on Changxing Island, Shanghai, annual production of insulated containers has reached 400,000 units, with the localization rate of components rising from 62 percent at the end of 2020 to 75 percent today, Weng added.
As the global shipping industry accelerates its shift toward sustainability, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. is extending its expertise in cryogenic storage and transportation technologies to new areas. "Green vessels now account for 80 percent of total orders we receive," said Song.
China's second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, has begun outfitting at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., another CSSC subsidiary. Compared to its predecessor, the Adora Magic City, the Adora Flora City's construction timeline is more than two months shorter.
According to Chen Gang, general manager at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the core challenge in building a large cruise ship lies in managing a project of massive scale. "At peak times, up to 4,000 workers operate simultaneously across 20 decks," Chen said.
"China's cruise market has enormous potential. We need to strengthen independent design capabilities and ensure that Chinese aesthetics are reflected as these ships venture into the open seas," said Chen.
According to Liu, the construction of the three ship types reflects China's breakthroughs in system integration, advanced materials, precision manufacturing, digital design and production technology. These advances have greatly enhanced the nation's capacity for independent innovation in high-end equipment and boosted the overall competitiveness of the industrial chain.
(Source: People's Daily)