Jiangnan Shipyard’s Dock No. 4 has welcomed the fourth batch of vessels to be launched this year.

On July 9, Jiangnan Shipyard’s Dock No. 4 welcomed the fourth batch of ship completions for the year, with two fully completed vessels departing the dock and three semi‑completed vessels being floated out.

This time, the dock-out construction team proactively addressed adverse weather conditions such as high temperatures, the plum rain season, and typhoons. By implementing lean manufacturing practices—including optimizing labor resource allocation and streamlining and coordinating work sequences—they effectively mitigated these challenges and ensured timely dock-out.

The lead vessel of the 50,000-cubic-meter medium‑size liquefied petroleum gas/liquid ammonia carrier (MGC) series, built by Jiangnan Shipyard for Vietnamese shipowner Asia Pacific Shipping Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ASP), has been floated out in its entirety. During construction, this vessel set multiple “firsts” for the MXC‑series lead ship: the first in‑dock powered‑by‑generator operation; the first optimization of deck tank lifting and precision control of deck tank saddle spans across entire block sections; the first complete elimination of paint application in the ballast tanks while still in the dock; the first removal of engine room scaffolding within the dock; and the first in‑dock hoisting of deep‑well pumps.

The vessel’s chief officer, Cai Haohao, explained: “Compared with the 93,000-cubic-meter VLAC—the parent design—this ship is nearly half its size. As a result, many aspects, including equipment layout, piping routing, and pipeline nondestructive testing, present new challenges. For instance, we employed the PAUT technique for the first time to inspect welds on stainless-steel pipelines. We planned proactively and executed swiftly, with the goal of delivering the vessel ahead of schedule.”

The second vessel in the series of 93,000-cubic-meter Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) built by Jiangnan Shipyard for AW Company—H2750—has completed its full‑ship float‑out. The ship continues the management model established for the lead vessel, further refining technical and process optimizations. For the first time, within the “232” construction schedule—under which two complete ships are floated out and three half‑ships are lifted in this batch, while the next batch will see three complete ships floated out and two half‑ships lifted—the vessel has achieved the “531” objectives: “five zeros” (zero outstanding welds on the hull, zero remaining paintwork in the engine room, zero interior fit‑out items left on the main deck, zero residual air chambers, and zero un‑cured epoxy in the liquid cargo tanks), “three networks connected” (piping network, electrical network, and information network), and generator readiness for testing. Building on these achievements, the ship also successfully started its propulsion system prior to float‑out; completed cable acceptance inspections on the lower level of the engine room and on Decks 2 and 3; dismantled scaffolding from Deck 3 of the engine room; finished exterior painting of Sections 90A and 90B; concluded sealing of the main deck for Section 90B; removed scaffolding from Sections 90A, 90B, and 90C; and completed superstructure installation with lighting—all key milestones that lay a solid foundation for the rapid commissioning of the liquid cargo handling system during the subsequent berth‑based construction phase.

At Jiangnan Shipyard, two 99,000-cubic-meter Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs) have been successfully floated out—namely, the first vessel equipped with aluminum alloy cargo tanks, hull number H2822, built for PG Company, and the first of its kind, hull number H2828, constructed for AW Company. Prior to flotation, H2822 completed the installation of its full-width deck and two aluminum alloy cargo tanks; 19 sets of machinery‑room piping were inspected and accepted, and the rudder blades had been hoisted and installed. For H2828, prior to flotation, seven ring sections were lifted simultaneously with the main engine, the machinery room was sealed, pipeline installation reached 40% completion, and painting verification in the machinery‑room’s smaller areas was finished.

The first vessel of the 48,500-cubic-meter medium‑size ethane–ethylene carrier (MEC), built by Jiangnan Shipyard for Navigator Gas (H2854), has been partially floated. This vessel type features dedicated fuel tanks in the cargo hold area, significantly enhancing operational flexibility. Prior to the float‑out, 20 sets of machinery‑room piping systems had completed acceptance inspection, cabin‑space painting was finished, and painting work in the machinery‑room’s smaller areas had also been inspected and approved. Meanwhile, new processes and construction methods were successfully implemented for the installation of the shaft and rudder system, and the hoisting of the main engine as well as the sealing of the machinery space were advanced ahead of schedule.

Wang Wei, Assistant Minister of the Docking Department, stated: “This batch of vessels marks the first group to officially adopt the ‘232’ dock‑out schedule. It is intended both to validate the feasibility of completing seven dock‑outs annually and to conduct advance stress tests in preparation for next year’s eight dock‑outs. The construction team will continue to optimize production pacing, proactively implement typhoon‑ and flood‑prevention measures, and ensure a safe, on‑schedule production rhythm.”