Sprinting for Q4: Breaking New Ground in South Korea – Order for the Largest Methanol Dual-Fuel Stainless Steel Chemical Tanker in the Middle and Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Lands at Xinjiangzhou

Great news arrives during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival! Recently, Jiangxi Xinjiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xinjiangzhou") received an email of board resolution from DM SHIPPING CO., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "DM SHIPPING"), South Korea’s largest chemical shipping company. This marks the approval of the construction contract for three 33,000-ton methanol dual-fuel duplex stainless steel chemical tankers by the boards of both companies. The contract was jointly signed by Wu Qiuping, General Manager of Xinjiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy Industry, and J.K. SONG, Vice President of DM SHIPPING, in Shanghai. With a total contract value exceeding 1.2 billion yuan, the three-vessel series is classified by the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) and scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029. This cooperation signifies the launch of a new partnership in the high-end chemical tanker construction sector, marking a solid step for Xinjiangzhou in expanding its network of partners and tapping into the South Korean market.

As one of China’s most important shipyards specializing in medium and small-sized chemical tankers, Xinjiangzhou has always adhered to the business strategy of "basing on liquid cargo ships, deepening engagement in multi-purpose heavy-lift ships, and expanding into new energy ships," while upholding the development philosophy of "high-end products, serialized ship types, and differentiated markets." Leveraging the international quality reputation of the former Jiangzhou Shipbuilding and the strong industry backing of its two major shareholders, Xinjiangzhou has focused on the medium and small-sized oil and chemical tanker niche market in recent years. By continuously enhancing R&D capabilities, optimizing production processes, and strengthening quality control systems, it has established a strong brand image and market reputation both domestically and internationally.

South Korea’s DM SHIPPING CO., LTD. is an international shipping company specializing in maritime transportation, logistics, and related services. Its business scope covers chemical transportation, container shipping, ship chartering, and maritime services, with a fleet of 16 chemical tankers serving major bulk trade routes across Asia (China, Japan, South Korea), Australia, and South America. As South Korea’s largest chemical shipping enterprise, this cooperation with Xinjiangzhou is a key strategic layout for DM SHIPPING to deepen its presence in the chemical tanker sector. The two parties will join hands to provide safer, more reliable, and high-quality chemical tankers for the global chemical transportation market.

The contracted 33,000-ton methanol dual-fuel duplex stainless steel chemical tankers are high-performance vessels tailored by Xinjiangzhou for DM SHIPPING, powered by green and clean energy. With an overall length of 185 meters, a molded width of 28.6 meters, a molded depth of 15.5 meters, and a designed draft of 10.3 meters, the vessels adopt horizontal corrugated bulkhead construction – a technique that poses major challenges in forming precision control and welding deformation control. Gaining the shipowner’s trust in this technology underscores Xinjiangzhou’s entry into the first-tier of high-end ship manufacturing. Amid fierce domestic and international competition for this ship type, Xinjiangzhou’s successful signing fully reflects DM SHIPPING’s high recognition and trust in its technical strength and service quality.

Adopting internationally advanced design concepts and construction standards, the vessels achieve industry-leading levels in safety, environmental protection, and economic efficiency. This cooperation holds significant strategic importance: on one hand, it will help Xinjiangzhou secure its rightful position in the medium and small-sized oil and chemical tanker market and expand its share in the high-end ship segment; on the other hand, it provides valuable experience for domestic medium and small-sized shipyards facing challenges such as order transfers by international shipowners and widespread cautious attitudes, demonstrating how to turn crises into opportunities. Xinjiangzhou’s early-year layout in the South Korean market and efforts to expand its network of South Korean shipowners paved the way for this successful cooperation.

Guided by its corporate vision of "building specialized and refined ships, establishing distinctive and high-quality shipyards," Xinjiangzhou will continue to expand cooperation boundaries with top domestic and international shipowners such as DM SHIPPING. With technical exchanges as the link and demand co-creation as the core, it will continuously upgrade its R&D capabilities and full-cycle service system. Based on global shipping market needs, Xinjiangzhou is committed to providing more competitive ship products and high-quality integrated services for customers at home and abroad. Having already gained the trust of shipowners from major shipping nations including Germany, Singapore, and South Korea, it has achieved full coverage of the European, Southeast Asian, and Northeast Asian markets, laying a solid foundation for future development.