Yichang advances green, smart shipbuilding hub
2024-10-21 20:10:00
Journalist: Xiao Xing
Translator and Editor: Tan Maolin
Yichang's shipbuilding companies are expected to complete a total of 204 ships by year-end, including 75 new energy vessels, according to the latest official reports. The companies have seen a significant surge in orders this year, including 62 new energy vessels and totaling 114 ships.
Yichang spans 232 kilometers of the Yangtze River, accounting for nearly a quarter of Hubei Province's total shoreline. This strategic location positions Yichang as one of Hubei's four major shipbuilding bases, home to approximately 20 licensed shipbuilding and repair enterprises that are able to thrive in the region.
In recent years, Yichang has made significant strides in developing the green and smart shipbuilding industry to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
The Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park, located in Zhijiang, a county-level city of Yichang, hosts nine shipbuilding companies - including Shengmao, Hongju, Xinhui, Jiangrui, and Xingda - along a 3-kilometer stretch of the Yangtze River. These companies have produced various specialized vessels, including China's first fast catamaran container ship and fully electric cruise ships designed for luxury night excursions along the Three Gorges.
Since its inception, the Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park has experienced rapid growth in both scale and output value. In 2023, eight enterprises in the park merged to set up the Hubei Jiangtong Shipbuilding Group Co., Ltd. Throughout 2023, 73 ships were completed and an additional 72 were undergoing construction, reflecting an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Nearly 30 percent of the ships built were new energy vessels.
Meanwhile, over 50 kilometers away, construction is progressing on infrastructure such as slipways at the Yidu Green Smart Shipbuilding Industrial Park in Yidu, another county-level city of Yichang. This industrial park is expected to be in operation by the end of this year.
The Yidu Green Intelligent Shipbuilding Industrial Park has a total investment of 8 billion yuan (US$1.13 billion) and a planned land area of 1,588 mu (105.87 hectares). Once completed, it is expected to achieve an annual output value of over 10 billion yuan in ship assembly and supporting manufacturing, with annual tax revenues exceeding 500 million yuan.
Yichang has also established the Yichang Green Smart Ship Development Alliance to drive technological advancements in green ship manufacturing. This initiative integrates resources from various sectors including ship design, manufacturing, shipping, and port operations to enhance sustainability and intelligence in vessel operations. Several green smart vessels have already been launched in Yichang, including Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 and Three Gorges Hydrogen Ship 1.
Translator and Editor: Tan Maolin
Yichang's shipbuilding companies are expected to complete a total of 204 ships by year-end, including 75 new energy vessels, according to the latest official reports. The companies have seen a significant surge in orders this year, including 62 new energy vessels and totaling 114 ships.
Yichang spans 232 kilometers of the Yangtze River, accounting for nearly a quarter of Hubei Province's total shoreline. This strategic location positions Yichang as one of Hubei's four major shipbuilding bases, home to approximately 20 licensed shipbuilding and repair enterprises that are able to thrive in the region.
In recent years, Yichang has made significant strides in developing the green and smart shipbuilding industry to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
The Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park, located in Zhijiang, a county-level city of Yichang, hosts nine shipbuilding companies - including Shengmao, Hongju, Xinhui, Jiangrui, and Xingda - along a 3-kilometer stretch of the Yangtze River. These companies have produced various specialized vessels, including China's first fast catamaran container ship and fully electric cruise ships designed for luxury night excursions along the Three Gorges.
Since its inception, the Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park has experienced rapid growth in both scale and output value. In 2023, eight enterprises in the park merged to set up the Hubei Jiangtong Shipbuilding Group Co., Ltd. Throughout 2023, 73 ships were completed and an additional 72 were undergoing construction, reflecting an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Nearly 30 percent of the ships built were new energy vessels.
Meanwhile, over 50 kilometers away, construction is progressing on infrastructure such as slipways at the Yidu Green Smart Shipbuilding Industrial Park in Yidu, another county-level city of Yichang. This industrial park is expected to be in operation by the end of this year.
The Yidu Green Intelligent Shipbuilding Industrial Park has a total investment of 8 billion yuan (US$1.13 billion) and a planned land area of 1,588 mu (105.87 hectares). Once completed, it is expected to achieve an annual output value of over 10 billion yuan in ship assembly and supporting manufacturing, with annual tax revenues exceeding 500 million yuan.
Yichang has also established the Yichang Green Smart Ship Development Alliance to drive technological advancements in green ship manufacturing. This initiative integrates resources from various sectors including ship design, manufacturing, shipping, and port operations to enhance sustainability and intelligence in vessel operations. Several green smart vessels have already been launched in Yichang, including Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 and Three Gorges Hydrogen Ship 1.
