Two Ships Worth Over RMB 1 Billion! New Private Shipbuilding Giant Wins Favor Again from Greek Shipowners

Greek shipowner Enesel Group has re-entered the dry bulk shipping market by placing an order with Hengli Heavy Industries for two Capesize bulk carriers.

According to information on Enesel’s official website, the two 181,500-dwt bulk carriers bear hull numbers HL-B181K-17 and HL-B181K-38, respectively, and are scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2027. Based on the hull numbers, this order was reportedly signed as early as the beginning of last year, though it was not publicly disclosed at the time.

The new vessels will be powered by conventional fuels and classed with DNV. Each is expected to cost between US$75 million and US$78 million, for a total of US$156 million (approximately RMB 1.064 billion) for the two ships.

For reference, Clarkson’s data show that the current price for a newbuild 210,000–212,000-dwt Newcastlemax bulk carrier is US$75.5 million (approximately RMB 516 million), up about 3% from US$73.5 million at the same time last year.

Hengli Heavy Industry’s order indicates that Enesel is rebuilding its bulk carrier fleet. Last year, the company sold three Capesize bulk carriers to Hayfin Capital and exited the bulk shipping market as part of its broader strategy to streamline its asset portfolio.

According to data on the company’s official website, Enesel currently operates a fleet of 14 oil tankers and 11 container vessels. The oil tanker fleet comprises two VLCCs, six Suezmax tankers, five LR2 tankers, and one Aframax crude tanker, while the container fleet includes eight 15,440-TEU vessels and three 10,600-TEU vessels.

Capesize bulk carriers are among Hengli Heavy Industries’ core vessel types. According to Clarkson’s data, as of now Hengli Heavy Industries holds orders for a total of 33 Capesize bulk carriers, second only to Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding (79 vessels), placing the company second globally among individual shipyards.

In the first quarter of this year, Hengli Heavy Industry secured a total of 108 new shipbuilding orders, marking the best performance on record for the same period. Of these, 76 were oil tankers—including 54 VLCCs, 18 Suezmax vessels, and 4 LR2 product tankers—along with 12 container ships, 16 bulk carriers, and 4 refrigerated vessels. The order intake for the quarter has already nearly matched the full-year total of 115 vessels in 2025, and the production schedule is now fully booked through 2030.

Notably, Greece’s two leading shipowners, Dynacom and CAPITAL, currently hold firm orders with Hengli Heavy Industries for 43 and 30 vessels, respectively. The continued investment by these shipping giants underscores Hengli Heavy Industries’ outstanding capabilities in product quality, delivery schedules, and after-sales service, while also signaling the ongoing enhancement of Chinese shipbuilders’ competitiveness in the international high-end market.

As of the end of the first quarter of this year, Hengli Heavy Industry has successfully delivered 10 vessels, averaging less than 10 days per delivery, which underscores the continuous optimization of its production organization capabilities and quality management system. In January this year, Dock No. 1 achieved the simultaneous launching of four 306,000-dwt VLCCs, while Dock No. 3 saw six 82,000-dwt bulk carriers launched on the same day. On April 22, just three months later, Dock No. 1 once again completed the simultaneous launching and float-out of two 306,000-dwt VLCCs and three 82,000-dwt bulk carriers, fully demonstrating the company’s world-leading shipbuilding capabilities in terms of batch production, rhythmic scheduling, and large-scale operations.

According to Clarkson’s data, Hengli Heavy Industries currently holds orders for a total of 277 vessels, amounting to 50.62 million deadweight tons and 10.26 million CGT. Measured in CGT, the company ranks first among single-shipyard operators worldwide. The order book comprises 124 oil tankers, 93 bulk carriers, 56 container ships, and 4 LPG carriers, with delivery schedules extending as far as 2030.

As order volumes continue to grow, Hengli Heavy Industry has steadily increased its investment. Following the full commissioning of its “Marine Factory” and “Future Factory,” the company has now committed RMB 13.5 billion to launch Phase III—three major shipbuilding capacity expansion projects. Currently, construction of Dock No. 4 is in full swing; on April 16, the concrete pouring for the fixed ballast of Dock No. 4’s dock gate was successfully completed. A 10,000-ton-class “giant” piece of equipment was precisely positioned, and the dock gate’s concrete pour was finished four days ahead of schedule, laying a solid foundation for the smooth progression of subsequent operations and the timely commissioning of the dock. Once all these projects reach full production capacity, Hengli Heavy Industry will become one of the world’s largest single-site, most fully integrated shipbuilding bases.

Hengli Heavy Industry stated that its performance in the first quarter of 2026 is a concentrated manifestation of the company’s unwavering commitment to a development path characterized by high-end, intelligent, and green solutions. Looking ahead, the company will continue to deepen its presence in the global shipping market, remain customer-centric, leverage technological innovation as the driving force, and continuously enhance the quality of shipbuilding and service levels. Hengli is committed to becoming the most trusted partner for shipowners worldwide and to making an even greater contribution to the high-quality development of China’s shipbuilding industry.