China’s First of Its Kind! The World’s Largest! Floated Out
China’s First of Its Kind! The World’s Largest! 24,000 TEU Container Ship Successfully Floated Out
On December 29, China’s first domestically built 24,000 TEU ultra-large container ship, the world’s largest container vessel by capacity, was successfully floated out from Dock No. 1 at the Changxing Shipbuilding Base of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).
The milestone represents another major breakthrough for China’s shipbuilding industry in the construction of ultra-large container ships.
Notably, within just half a month, three major breakthroughs were achieved by three major Shanghai-based shipyards under CSSC:
On December 17, China’s first large cruise ship achieved the milestone of floating up inside the dock at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding;
On December 28, the world’s largest 99,000-cubic-meter B-type tank Very Large Ethane Carrier (VLEC) was named and delivered by Jiangnan Shipyard;
On December 29, the world’s largest 24,000 TEU container ship was floated out by Hudong-Zhonghua.
Together, these achievements marked a historic chapter of innovation and breakthroughs in China’s shipbuilding industry.
Independently Designed, Globally Leading
The vessel was independently designed by Hudong-Zhonghua and features fully independent intellectual property rights. It is currently the world’s largest container ship in terms of carrying capacity.
The vessel measures:
399.99 meters in overall length
61.5 meters in molded breadth
33.2 meters in molded depth
It is equipped with a hybrid scrubber desulfurization system and incorporates Hudong-Zhonghua’s latest global technologies in green environmental protection, energy efficiency, and safety.
The vessel adopts advanced energy-saving technologies including a streamlined bulbous bow, large-diameter propeller, and energy-saving ducts, delivering excellent speed performance and low energy consumption. All major performance indicators have reached internationally advanced levels.
A New Flagship Facility for Ultra-Large Container Ship Construction
The vessel is also the first flagship product constructed after the upgrade and expansion of Dock No. 1 at Changxing Shipbuilding Base.
To meet the growing demand for specialized mass production of ultra-large container ships and build a flagship Chinese enterprise in large container ship construction, Hudong-Zhonghua decided in 2020 to extend Dock No. 1 from 520 meters to 660 meters.
The upgraded dock was designed to support the semi-tandem construction of 24,000 TEU container ships and meet the needs of major global shipowners requiring new vessels at intervals of approximately two months. The expansion enables an annual production capacity of 5–6 ultra-large container ships while significantly improving construction speed and efficiency.
Today, Dock No. 1 has become one of China’s busiest specialized production facilities for large container ships.
Intelligent Manufacturing Enhances Construction Efficiency
Hudong-Zhonghua has placed great emphasis on the construction of the 24,000 TEU container ship series by continuously upgrading shipyard facilities, improving production planning and refined management, and strengthening communication, coordination, and cooperation with shipowners and classification societies.
Through unified 3D modeling and digital design data integration, the project achieved efficient sharing of design information, complete integration of outfitting pallet data, improved block assembly efficiency, and enhanced dock-out completeness.
These achievements demonstrate Hudong-Zhonghua’s comprehensive capabilities in intelligent shipbuilding.
Extensive Experience in Large Container Ship Construction
As a leading Chinese enterprise in large container ship design and construction, Hudong-Zhonghua has consistently pursued standards of safety, economy, and high quality.
Over the years, the company has built and delivered more than 60 large container ships above 8,000 TEU for global shipowners, including five world-first 23,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel-powered container ships. These achievements have earned strong recognition from the global market and shipowners.
In 2021, Hudong-Zhonghua secured orders for 13 large container ships and delivered 6 vessels. The company currently has 19 large container ships under construction, with delivery schedules extending through 2025.
