On the morning of October 10th, Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. held a simultaneous ceremony for the delivery of the first 50,000-ton /chemical tanker “MC GAEA” (TS2302), built for MC GROUP LIMITED, and the launching ceremony of the second ship in the same series, the “MC METIS” (TS2303).
Previously, the “MC GAEA” was successfully launched in May this year. The ship took only seven and a half months from the start of construction to its launch, setting a world record for the construction of similar ship types. Following this launch, the “MC METIS” will also quickly proceed to outfitting and commissioning work.
In addition to the first two ships, MC Group placed an additional order for four 50,000-ton /chemical tankers at Guoyu Shipbuilding this year. This series of ships has an overall length of 182.75 meters, a molded breadth of 32.2 meters, a molded depth of 19.1 meters, a design draft of 11 meters, and a speed of 14.5 knots. The liquid cargo tanks adopt a 9+1 pair tank arrangement, enabling them to calmly handle complex and changing shipping environments.
On the track of green environmental protection and energy efficiency upgrades, this ship type is at the forefront: its fuel consumption indicators not only meet the Tier III emission standards but exceed them; its energy efficiency meets the EEDI Phase 3 requirements. It is also equipped with a scrubber to effectively reduce sulfur oxide emissions, while being fitted with a shaft generator to improve energy utilization efficiency. The application of a nitrogen generator further ensures safety and environmental protection during operation. Furthermore, the ship has methanol dual-fuel readiness, keeping pace with the global shipping industry’s green transformation trend, fully demonstrating the forward-looking planning of both companies.
The ship’s cargo oil system uses FRAMO pumps to ensure efficient and stable transportation; the cargo tanks are specially coated with MARINELINE paint and can carry more than 1,200 types of oil /chemicals, greatly enhancing the ship’s operational flexibility and market competitiveness.
The successful holding of this dual-ship ceremony was no coincidence. From raw material procurement to block construction, from equipment installation to debugging and testing, Yangzhou Guoyu and Shanghai Leadxin formed a joint special team, overcame numerous technical challenges, and optimized more than ten production processes, ultimately achieving the simultaneous realization of the “delivery and launching” dual milestones. This not only directly showcases the collaborative planning, technical攻坚, and lean management capabilities of the two enterprises but also, with the efficient result of “holding one dual ceremony and simultaneously reaching two milestones,” breaks the conventional industry performance rhythm. This has further strengthened MC Group’s confidence in the cooperation between the two parties, laying a solid foundation for subsequent deeper collaboration.
It is understood that Guoyu Shipbuilding was originally a控股 subsidiary of Wuhan Guoyu Logistics Industry Group Co., Ltd. It was established in June 2005, located in the Yizheng Economic Development Zone, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. The project had a total investment of 1.5 billion RMB, covering an area of approximately 1,848 acres, with perennial water depth over 13 meters and good water conditions. The shipyard has four shipbuilding berths, a maximum lifting capacity of 800 tons, and possesses the capability to build various types of ships including cargo ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers up to 100,000 tons and below, with an annual production capacity of up to 2 million tons and an output value of about 5 billion RMB.
Affected by the downturn in the shipbuilding industry, Guoyu Shipbuilding encountered difficulties with capital turnover in 2015. In early 2016, local media reported that Guoyu Shipbuilding had defaulted on the wages of over 1,000 migrant workers. Making matters worse, its parent company, Guoyu Logistics, was exposed in March 2016 for overdue bank loans. Under these successive blows, Guoyu Shipbuilding’s production halted, and several overseas shipowners canceled more than 10 new ship orders at Guoyu Shipbuilding. As the original shareholders fell into a debt crisis and were unable to repay debts on time, Guoyu Shipbuilding entered bankruptcy proceedings in November 2021.
In July 2024, the restructuring plan for Guoyu Shipbuilding, with Dingyi Investment as the restructuring investor, was passed by a high vote at the creditors’ meeting and approved by the court, marking that Dingyi Investment would formally take控股 of Guoyu Shipbuilding. At that time, Dingyi Investment stated that after taking控股 of Guoyu Shipbuilding, it would remain focused on Guoyu Shipbuilding’s core shipbuilding business. It would equip Guoyu Shipbuilding with an experienced management and operation team, upgrade supporting facilities, promote comprehensive resumption of work and production as soon as possible, and gradually transition to building high-value-added ships. Simultaneously, Dingyi Investment would also integrate its industrial and financial resources to secure high-quality shipbuilding orders for Guoyu Shipbuilding and increase its shipbuilding output value.
