Yangzijiang Maritime Development Co., Ltd. (Yangzijiang Maritime)—a listed subsidiary of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group—is continuing to expand its presence in the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) market. The company has placed an additional order for four vessels of the same type with a domestic shipyard, bringing its total VLCC orderbook to 12 ships with a combined value of nearly US$1.5 billion (approximately RMB 10.19 billion).
According to TradeWinds, Yangzijiang Maritime has ordered four additional 319,000 DWT VLCCs from New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co., Ltd (NHT). This brings the total number of such vessels ordered from the yard to 12, with a total contract value of nearly US$1.5 billion, implying a unit cost of approximately US$125 million per vessel.
In April 2026, Yangzijiang Maritime officially entered the 319,000 DWT VLCC market segment with the first batch of eight vessels to be built by NHT. The initial eight vessels are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2030, while delivery dates for the four additional vessels have not yet been disclosed.
Yangzijiang Maritime stated that this batch of VLCCs is designed and built in accordance with the latest energy efficiency standards, featuring optimized hull designs, electronically controlled main engines, and various energy-saving devices; their Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) will meet and exceed the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Phase III requirements. Additionally, the vessels will be equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers), enabling them to comply with the IMO’s global 0.5% sulfur cap while retaining the operational flexibility to use high-sulfur fuel oil, thereby optimizing fuel costs across diverse market conditions.
In 2026, Yangzijiang Maritime has been highly active in the newbuilding market, placing orders for nearly 40 vessels (including options) to date. All are being built by domestic shipyards and span a range of vessel types—including bulk carriers, product tankers, and VLCCs—with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.
On January 14, Yangzijiang Maritime announced orders for 16 new vessels across three types (6 firm orders and 10 options): 2+2 40,000 DWT bulk carriers to be built by Qidong Qianyao Heavy Industry; 2+6 49,800 DWT MR product tankers; and 2+2 114,000 DWT LR2 product tankers. Deliveries are scheduled between 2027 and 2029.
On April 16, Yangzijiang Maritime announced plans to build eight 319,000 DWT VLCCs at a domestic shipyard—a project undertaken by NHT. With the recent confirmation of an additional four-vessel order, the total number of vessels to be built under this partnership has risen to 12.
On April 27, Yangzijiang Maritime signed contracts for the construction of another 10 vessels, comprising four 114,000 DWT LR2 product tankers, four 49,800 DWT MR product tankers, and two 40,000 DWT bulk carriers; delivery is scheduled between 2027 and 2029.
According to reports, NHT was established as a joint venture between Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. () and Jiangsu Hantong Group. The shipyard covers an area of 1.59 million square meters, with 1,300 meters of riverfront. It is equipped with a 300,000-metric-ton dry dock (485 meters × 96 meters), an 800-metric-ton gantry crane, an 80,000-metric-ton slipway (290 meters × 40 meters), and shipbuilding facilities such as hull and outfitting workshops.
The shipyard has an annual steel processing capacity of 250,000 metric tons and an annual shipbuilding capacity of 2 million deadweight tons.
Including the four VLCCs mentioned above, all of the newbuilding projects HT has announced this year are in the tanker and bulk carrier markets, covering vessel types such as VLCCs, Suezmax tankers, product tankers, and Ultramax, Kamsarmax, and Newcastlemax bulk carriers.
Yangzijiang Maritime is the latest listed company under the Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, with Ren Yuanlin serving as Executive Chairman and CEO. The company focuses on the shipping sector, with core operations encompassing shipping asset investment and vessel financing. In addition to new shipbuilding projects, Yangzijiang Maritime has reached an agreement this year to sell four newly built 49,800 DWT MR product tankers and has secured charter contracts for 12 of its vessels—comprising oil tankers, chemical tankers, and product tankers—as well as one anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel.
