On December 16, a 9,000-car pure car truck carrier (PCTC) and a 7,000-TEU container ship were simultaneously launched from Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding's No. 1 dock, marking another milestone in the shipyard's innovative "multi-vessel, single-dock" construction model. This achievement capped a historic year with eight batches of vessels—totaling 24 ships—launched from both docks, successfully concluding the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding emerged as the world's only shipyard capable of independently designing and constructing cruise ships, commercial vessels, and offshore products. Under its "cruise-led, dual-wing development" strategy, the company delivered 114 vessels and offshore structures, including China's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City. The second domestically built large cruise ship has achieved critical milestones such as full hull integration and float-off in 2025, with overall progress exceeding 88% and a 20% efficiency improvement over the first vessel.
Efficient resource allocation and production model innovation have been key to integrated development. The completion of the Adora Magic City marked Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding's transition from traditional shipbuilding to complex mega-project management. Facing resource pressures from concurrent commercial, offshore, and cruise projects, the company implemented a multi-vessel, single-dock approach. Leveraging digital collaborative design platforms and a tray-based planning system, it optimized resource sharing across business segments.
The shipyard achieved mixed-line construction of 200,000-ton bulk carriers, 8,600-car PCTCs, 9,000-car PCTCs, 114,000-ton product tankers, 158,000-ton crude oil tankers, and 7,000-TEU container ships in a single dock, significantly improving core resource utilization and shortening critical path cycles.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan, Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding saw substantial revenue growth while maintaining industry-leading return on equity (ROE). Beyond shipbuilding, the company is driving industrial chain development, shifting focus from "building quality ships" to "boosting the supply chain."
For its first large cruise ship, Waigaoqiao established an ecosystem comprising one main contractor, 100 subcontractors, and 1,500 suppliers. Progress continues on the second vessel, with key materials now fully localized and domestic alternatives for balcony modules, flooring packages, and entertainment lift systems.
(Image: Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. Courtesy of interviewee.)
Comments