Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Receives Two Gantry Cranes for New Green Shipbuilding Base
China’s Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project, the new shipbuilding base being developed by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, has taken another major step toward completion with the delivery of two shipbuilding gantry cranes. The arrival of one 1,800-ton gantry crane and one 400-ton gantry crane brings the project closer to its planned completion and commencement of operations by the end of 2026.
Both gantry cranes were manufactured by Nantong Rainbow Heavy Machineries Co., Ltd. (RHM). The larger 1,800-ton shipbuilding gantry crane features a 178-meter span and a 90-meter lifting height with a single-girder design suitable for large-span shipyard operations. It is equipped with multiple independent trolleys that support single lifting, tandem lifting, and in-air turning of ship sections. The crane has a tandem lifting capacity of 1,800 tons and a turning capacity of 1,000 tons, enabling it to handle the heavy structural sections required for the construction of large vessels, including clean-energy ships.
The Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project is being implemented by Jiangsu Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding established in April 2024. In July 2024, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding signed an agreement with Xinqiao Town (Xinqiao Industrial Park) in Jingjiang for the development of the Yangzi Hongyuan Green High-Tech Clean Energy Shipbuilding Base, marking the establishment of the company’s newest shipbuilding facility.
In 2025, the project was designated as a major provincial project by Jiangsu Province, and construction officially commenced in February 2025. The project is scheduled for completion and operational launch by the end of 2026, with an investment of approximately 3 billion yuan (US$445 million) over two years.
The new shipbuilding base will utilize approximately 1,320 meters of shoreline and will include one 300,000-ton shipbuilding dry dock, one 200,000-ton outfitting berth, and one 100,000-ton harbor basin. Once completed, the facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 800,000 deadweight tons, significantly expanding Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s production capability.
According to the project plan, the Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project is a key part of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s transformation and upgrading strategy. It aims to establish a world-class demonstration zone for the high-quality development of clean-energy gas-powered vessels. Guided by intelligent planning and digitalization, the project will adopt modern shipbuilding methods while developing a modern smart factory. Upon completion, it will become Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s primary production base for its existing backlog of green and clean-energy vessel orders.
Construction of the supporting facilities has continued to progress. The machining shop, block shop, and piping and outfitting shop became fully operational in April 2026, and production has already been scheduled for the first batch of new ship orders. The shipyard’s first newly built vessel is expected to be delivered in 2027.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding traces its origins to 1956, when it began as a shipbuilding and repair cooperative. Following its relocation in 1975, restructuring into a joint-stock company in 1999, construction of a new shipyard across the river in 2005, and its Singapore stock exchange listing in 2007, the company became the first Chinese shipbuilder listed in Singapore and has grown into one of China’s leading private shipbuilding enterprises.
Today, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding operates six shipyards. Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding and Yangzi Hongda Ship Repair & Construction, established in 2024 and 2026, respectively, are the group’s newest facilities. The remaining shipyards include New Yangzi Shipbuilding, Yangtze Xinfu Shipbuilding, Yangtze Mitsui Shipbuilding, and Zhoushan Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, which completed its capital injection in March 2025.
The delivery of the two gantry cranes represents an important infrastructure milestone for the Yangzi Hongyuan Shipbuilding Project. Heavy-lift gantry cranes are critical assets in modern shipbuilding because they enable the efficient handling, assembly, and positioning of large ship blocks. Combined with the project’s smart factory design, digitalized production systems, and large-scale dock facilities, the new equipment is expected to enhance manufacturing efficiency and support Yangzijiang Shipbuilding’s strategy of expanding its clean-energy vessel production capacity. The project also reflects the company’s continued investment in advanced shipbuilding infrastructure while strengthening its long-term production capabilities.
