New Breakthrough in the “843” Plan! Delivering Vessels as They Sprint Toward the Fourth Quarter

New Breakthrough in the “843” Plan! Sprinting Toward the Fourth Quarter with Successful Vessel Delivery

On November 14, the first 15,500 TEU container ship built by Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), for SEASPAN was named “MAERSK CLEVELAND”. The vessel was signed for delivery on November 15 and departed the shipyard on November 16.

The vessel’s construction cycle further solidified Jiangnan Shipyard’s “843” production rhythm. (“843” refers to the vessel’s overall construction schedule: 8 months for block fabrication, 4 months for dock construction, and 3 months for outfitting at the terminal.) This milestone represents another breakthrough in the construction efficiency of Jiangnan Shipyard’s conventional-fuel container vessels.

This project marked the first cooperation between Jiangnan Shipyard and SEASPAN. Therefore, when the construction team proposed shortening the terminal construction period to less than three months, the shipowner and classification society initially had some doubts. However, the construction team demonstrated strong confidence and execution capability.

To achieve the targeted terminal construction period, the project team developed a seven-week critical schedule from dock-out to sea trials. Weekly work plans and milestone targets were fully communicated with the shipowner and classification surveyors. During implementation, the team strictly followed the schedule to ensure that weekly production tasks were completed on time.

Meanwhile, downstream production departments worked closely together. While ensuring safety and quality, they optimized key project timelines, steadily advancing the vessel toward the “843” construction cycle.

“Although this was our first cooperation with shipowner SEASPAN, both sides maintained active communication throughout the project, faced challenges together, and built trust through practical actions. Looking back at the entire construction process, the close collaboration among the shipowner, classification society, and shipyard team—with aligned goals and unified efforts—enabled the further consolidation of the ‘843’ construction rhythm,” said Huang Ming, Deputy Chief Constructor of the vessel series.