Four VLCCs launched on the same day! Hengli Heavy Industry Sets a New Industry Record Once Again.

On January 4, four VLCCs built in Dock No. 1 at Hengli Heavy Industry were all launched from the dock on the same day. The simultaneous construction and launch of four VLCCs from the same dock set a new global record in the shipbuilding industry, marking that Hengli Heavy Industry’s rhythmic and large-scale shipbuilding capabilities have reached world-leading levels.

The No. 1 dock of Hengli Heavy Industry measures 741 meters in length and 135 meters in width, capable of simultaneously building four 300,000-ton VLCC/VLOC vessels. The simultaneous launching of four 306,000-ton VLCCs on the same day represents an unprecedented scale—this is the first time since Hengli Heavy Industry began full-scale operations, and also the first such occurrence in the global shipbuilding industry, marking a significant milestone in the history of world shipbuilding.

During the shipbuilding phase in the dock, each project team, while ensuring top-notch quality, made the most of world-class supporting facilities and implemented the project step by step according to strict target milestones, promoting coordinated progress. In the end, they broke with tradition and completed the onboard installation within the same timeframe. Before the ship’s departure from the dock, the technical team and all relevant units conducted repeated simulations and validations to scientifically develop a comprehensive departure plan. This time, the ship’s departure utilized an industry-leading cable-handling trolley operation method, replacing the traditional manual cable-adjustment process, thereby significantly enhancing both safety and efficiency.

It is understood that Hengli Heavy Industry’s predecessor, STX Dalian, was once China’s largest foreign-invested shipyard and boasted the largest single shipyard in northern China. In 2022, responding to the nation’s call, Hengli Group established Hengli Heavy Industry Group and spent 2.11 billion yuan to bid for and acquire the assets of the former STX Dalian, which had been idle for ten years, fully committed to building a world-class, high-end shipbuilding base.

In January 2023, Hengli Heavy Industry’s Phase I “Ocean Factory” achieved full operational status in just 150 days. The original shipyard has been expanded into a super shipyard measuring 741 meters in length, 135 meters in width, and 14.5 meters in depth—capable of simultaneously building four VLCCs with a deadweight tonnage of 300,000 tons, making it the largest shipyard of its kind in the world.

In January 2025, the second-phase project—the “Future Factory”—invested in by Hengli Heavy Industry with nearly 10 billion yuan, achieved production within just five months. The “Future Factory” features 17 ultra-large workshops with a total construction area exceeding 2 million square meters. It focuses primarily on the manufacturing of high-value-added green vessels and advanced offshore engineering equipment, including Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs), ultra-large container ships, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, floating offshore wind turbines, and drilling platforms.

In September of the same year, the Hengli Heavy Industry Collaborative Innovation and Offshore Engineering Technology Industrial Park began construction on Changxing Island in Dalian. Covering an area of 12 square kilometers, the industrial park will focus on world-class advanced technologies and prioritize the development of offshore engineering, shipbuilding, ship modification, high-end offshore equipment and its supporting industries, marine materials, and manufacturing and processing of marine components. By fostering new forms of industrialization and advanced manufacturing clusters, the park aims to establish new strategic advantages for future development.

Once all projects in the Hengli Heavy Industry series reach full production capacity, the facility will be able to process 2.3 million tons of steel plates annually, build 150 ultra-large vessels per year, and produce 180 marine engines—including models G95 and below. Moreover, it will achieve full coverage of four dual-fuel types: LNG, LPG, methanol, and ammonia. This facility will become the world’s largest single-site shipbuilding base with the most comprehensive supporting infrastructure, as well as China’s largest single-site manufacturer of marine engines.