High-end ships transforming maritime biz

R&D investment, design, construction techniques drive orders to local yards

Shanghai-based shipbuilders have been accelerating the development of specialized areas and setting ambitious targets for 2023.Those moves are expected to help the nation's shipbuilding industry as it becomes a world powerhouse in the field through high-quality development, industry experts said.

The nation's leading builder of liquified natural gas carriers, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd in Shanghai, said it will double its LNG carrier construction capacity in the next few years. On Feb 18, it delivered an 80,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier to Shenzhen Gas Co.

The vessel, which is known as Dapeng Princess, is the world's largest LNG carrier to navigate shallow waterways. The company said it is the latest example of Hudong-Zhonghua's capability in research and development, design and construction of specialized ships.