Sailing into a New Golden Age 

Throughout 40-years of development, great changes have taken place within the shipbuilding industry in China. Ten-thousand-DWT size oil tankers, cargo vessels, and thousand-TEU size container vessels are now being routinely built. Even 300,000 DWT vessels are now being built in China.

JJ: -Does this ship have a name yet?

-Yes, the ship is called Primo Stiff.

Stiff is the Greek Company鈥檚 name and Primo means the first class.

JJ: -Well primo stands for first class. Although the word 鈥渇irst鈥is used, is the company building any other ships in this shipyard?

-Yes, actually this company has three vessels in our shipyard. This is the first one. They have another two crewed oil tankers which will be built in our shipyard.

JJ: - Have they started building them yet?

-Yes, already.

JJ: -Where are we now and what are all those people doing?

- We are in the warehouse of the ship. And these people, they are installing the equipment of the ship. For something in the navigation system and the system which controls the engine.

JJ: -What sort of thing goes on here during a ship voyage?

- You know, this is like a central control. When the ship is sailing, they can use these equipments to control every single equipment.

JJ:-Like navigation, and speed鈥Can a captain get in touch with a crew anywhere on the ship?

- Yes, you鈥檙e right.

JJ:- What kind of ship are we on right now, can you tell us something about it?

- This vessel is Afro max crewed oil tanker. This vessel is being built for a Greek owner named Steff Martin, which is one of the leading shipping groups in Greece. This vessel is 245 meters long and 42 meters of the beam. This vessel carries crewed oil.

JJ: - How much crewed oil would you think a ship like this would carry?

- Around 105000 DWT for a total.

Now, orders are flooding in. Shipyards and docks have been booked 2 to 4 years ahead.

Chen Minjun, President of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co, LTD

At present, there are over 40 orders for 175,000 DWT environmental-friendly bulk carriers. As for 105,000DWT Crude Oil Tankers, we now have batches of orders. A Greek ship owner ordered the first batch of 7 tankers.

Hu Keyi, Senior Naval Arch in Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co, LTD