Yangzijiang Shipbuilding bags orders for two 325,000 DWT bulk carriers

MAINBOARD-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding has secured new shipbuilding orders for two 325,000 dwt bulk carriers from a ship owner based in Asia.

The new bulk carriers will be built by the group's Xinfu shipyard and delivered by June 2021, said Yangzijiang, China's largest non-state owned shipbuilder.

In a company update, chief executive Ren Letian said that the group has reached a milestone by successfully launching a vessel using a floating dock rather than the traditional way of launching through a slipway or dry dock. The semi-submerged ship was launched with Yangzijiang's partner Mitsui for an 82,000 dwt vessel from the Taicang yard.

"With the first vessel built and launched by us without using a dock, we are scaling up in our capability for building of LNG vessels at our Taicang yard. This method of building and launching of vessels also has the advantages of improving shipbuilding efficiency, increasing output without having the limitations of dock capacity, reducing investment costs and enhancing capacity quickly," said Mr Ren.