CSSC: Out of 209 delivered ships this year, over a third were dual-fuel

Chinese shipbuilding conglomerate China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) is rounding off 2022 with the delivery of 209 ships, the equivalent of 14 million dwt.

CSSC said that this year it secured the largest portion of new shipbuilding orders in the world, despite the challenges caused by the pandemic and extreme weather conditions.

Over a third of vessels completed and delivered this year by the group’s shipyards were dual-fuel ships (31.6%), while mid-to-high-end ships accounted for over half of vessel deliveries, standing at 56.8 %, the shipbuilding heavyweight said.

Some of the key ship construction milestones this year include the deliveries of four 24,000 TEU ultra-large containerships by the group’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) and Jiangnan Shipbuilding (Group). These ships are the world’s largest containerships based on their capacity.

The vessels feature some of the most innovative and eco-friendly technologies available on the market including bulbous bows, large-diameter propellers, and energy-saving ducts to improve their efficiency and lower energy consumption as well as air lubrication systems.

During the year, Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan Shipbuilding delivered a total of five LNG carriers including two 174,000 cbm, two 80,000 cbm and one 30,000 cbm LNG carrier. Furthermore, Jiangnan Shipbuilding and Dalian Shipbuilding Industry won the first large-scale LNG carrier construction orders.

Dual-fuel ships have become the main ship type being built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s units, paving way for the delivery of some of the world’s first and most innovative technologies.

These include the delivery of the world’s first LNG-fueled very large crude carrier as well as China’s first 300,000-ton VLCC fitted with two pairs of rigid wing sails, developed by a domestic research team.

The shipbuilding company has also delivered Hai Yang Shi You 301, which has been described as the world’s largest LNG bunker vessel. The ship was completed by CSSC’s subsidiary Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI) following a conversion project.

The vessel is China’s first LNG bunkering vessel and it was converted from an LNG carrier for China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). It was built by Jiangnan Shipbuilding and delivered in May 2015. The conversion project was launched back in August 2022 at GSI’s Wenchong yard.

The bunker vessel, spanning a total length of 184.7 meters and a molded width of 28.1 meters, can carry 30,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas.

This year also saw the delivery of the first 49,900 dwt methanol-powered dual-fuel medium-range tanker built at Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd (GSI) in China for Proman Stena Bulk. So far, a total of four vessels from the series have been delivered.

CSSC said that the construction of 49,900-ton methanol dual-fuel chemical/product oil tankers ushered in a new era of methanol dual-fuel shipbuilding in China.

Finally, the company is gaining ground on the construction of liquid CO2 carriers. In November 2022, China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) started the construction of two LNG-powered, wind-assisted CO2 carriers for Northern Lights, a joint venture of energy majors Shell, Equinor and TotalEnergies.

Each vessel will have a cargo size of 7,500 cbm and a length of 130 meters. They will be equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems and air lubrication technology, anticipated to reduce carbon intensity by around 34% compared to conventional systems. The units will also feature ABB’s shaft generator systems.

For CSSC, 2022 was an extraordinary year, the company said, pointing to an 8 percent delivery increase year-on-year despite challenges posed by pandemic lockdowns and infections. For 2023, the world’s largest shipbuilder said that it plans to maintain its leadership role in the sector and continue working on the development of the shipbuilding industry blazing trail with innovative, eco-friendly technologies.