Jiangnan Shipyard - Changxing Island

The country planned to build three major shipbuilding bases in the Bohai Gulf area, East China Sea and South China Sea. When completed in 2015, the Changxing base would be the largest shipyard in the world with annual shipbuilding capacity reaching eight million tons.

Since 2003, China has constructed the world's largest shipbuilding base in the Changxing island, a deep water coast in Shanghai; the base was expected to be completed by 2015. China was said to have plans to build medium-size aircraft carrier in the Changxing base.

The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) announced 13 August 2003 that it would build a new shipyard with an eight-kilometer water frontage in Shanghai, which would be the largest shipyard in the world. CSSC General Manager Chen Xiaojin said the new shipyard would be built on Changxing Island, off Shanghai. The water frontage would be longer than the total length of all major shipyards in Shanghai and is expected to be the world's longest.

The Jiangnan Shipyard was an important builder of China's most advanced naval combatants. Jiangnan built several classes of frigates and destroyers, two Song-class submarines, and, of particular note, the PLAN's Type 052C Luyang II air-defense destroyers. As the first generation of industry workers in China was nurtured in Jiangnan Shipyard, the yard is regarded as cradle of China's national industry. Jiangnan Shipyard was established in 1865 (Tongzhi 4th year of Qing Dynasty). The previous name was Jiangnan Machine Manufacturer and was renamed as Jiangnan Shipbuilding Works in 1912 and Jiangnan Shipyard in 1949. In 1996 the yard was transformed into state-owned solely funded Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Company Limited.

Jiangnan Shipyard moved to Shanghai's Changxing Island. The 143-year-old shipbuilding company celebrated the completion of its new home 04 June 2008. A shift of Jiangnan's share of military production to another of China's older shipyards (vice Changxing Island) would be a strong reaffirmation of commercial shipbuilding's dominant position in the PRC's strategic priorities, while introducing naval construction at the Changxing Island greenfield facility would indicate a more mixed set of strategic priorities. By late 2010 no military ship construction was in evidence at Changxing Island, though an active Type 052C Luyang II, built at the old Jiangnan Shipyard was evident in satellite imagery.

The shipyard, which made China's first rifle, first cannon, first 10,000 ton hydraulic press and first observatory ship, was once the city's landmark, but now the land of the old site became part of the World Expo site. First-phase construction of Jiangnan Changxing's shipbuilding base at the mouth of the Yangtze River offered four docks, three assembly lines as well as annual capacity of 4.5 million tons. Second-phase work started in 2009 and brought the shipyard four new docks for container vessels, liquid gas carriers and ocean engineering ships, the newspaper said.

The Jiangnan Shipyard at Shanghai, which employed 10,000 workers, was torn down and relocated for Expo 2010. The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Pavilion is built on the original site of the 140-year-old Jiangnan Shipyard, which is widely considered the cradle of the Chinese national industry. A waterfront park neighboring the World Expo site in downtown Luwan District opened to the public in June 2010. The green area is in the heart of a high-end riverside central business district which is expected to be completed in 2015. "Luwan's southern area has a brand-new look," said Li Shun, deputy director of the Luwan District Construction and Transport Commission. The 16.96 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion) project is being built on the former site of dilapidated buildings, old wharfs and factories, including the Jiangnan Shipyard.

Shanghai saw long-term benefits from the removal of one of the urban area's largest industrial polluters, the historic Jiangnan Shipyard. Established in 1865 on what is now the site of the Expo, the enterprise has been relocated offshore to an island in the Yangtze river, north of Shanghai. With an investment of more than $2.3 billion, the new yard was slated to become the largest shipbuilder in the world. Shanghai had been constructing the nation's largest ship building base since 2005, and it will be able to deliver as many as 12 million deadweight tons annually once construction is completed in 2015.

In June 2005 construction began on what China says will eventually be the world's biggest shipyard, part of the country's plan for taking a dominant role in the industry. China's biggest shipbuilding company began building the 8-kilometer-long (5-mile-long) facility on Changxing Island, some 30 kilometers [20 miles] away, near the mouth of the Yangtze River. The US$3.6 billion (euro2.9 billion) new shipyard was meant to quadruple Shanghai's current shipbuilding capacity to 12 million tons by 2015.

Construction started on June 3,2005 on what will become the world's largest shipyard, marking a major step forward in China's ambition to become the world's leading ship builder. June 3,2005 also witnessed the 140th anniversary of the Jiangnan Shipyard.The yard was founded during the late Qing Dynasty, and was the first manufacturing base to produce steel, naval ships and steel cannon. In the first phase of the US.6 billion project, the Jiangnan Shipyard Corp, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), relocated to Changxing Island to make way for Shanghai Expo 2010. The Jiangnan Shipyard will expand its shipbuilding capacity from the current 800,000 deadweight tons (DWT) a year to 4.5 million by 2010. The new yard's first ship was expected to be delivered by 2009.

In the second phase of development, CSSC's subsidiaries, such as Hudong and Waigaoqiao, will add more yards along Changxing island's 8-kilometre coastline. By 2015, CSCC is expected to have an annual capacity of 8 million DWTs, half of China's current production capacity. By then, Changxing is expected to have become the world's largest shipyard. Shanghai will also become the world's largest shipbuilding base, tripling its capacity to 12 million DWTs by 2015.

"The central government has called on China to become the largest shipbuilder in the world. The Changxing base is the most important step forward in this plan," said CSSC President Chen Xiaojin. Chen said the Changxing yard offers CSSC an unprecedented opportunity to develop its business as the global shipbuilding market is still expanding. The yard will also increase Chinese production of high-tech and high-value-added ships, including liquefied natural gas carriers and super oil tankers.

China COSCO Holdings Co. Ltd. said 26 June 2006 it would spend US$516.8 million to build eight container ships, aiming to satisfy demand and maintain competitiveness. Each ship would be able to carry the equivalent of 5,100 twenty-foot containers. The company, China's largest container shipping firm, said in a statement that Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd., a unit of China State Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd., would build the ships. The first two would be delivered on June 30, 2009 and the other six would be delivered in pairs in October 2009, February 2010 and June 2010. On Sept. 29, 2006 Frontline Ltd. was granted an option for further two VLCC newbuilding contracts at Jiangnan Shipyard in China for delivery 2010/2011. The Company exercised these options and simultaneously sold the newbuilding contracts to a third party including an element of profit.

The development of Changxing Island is a major measure in rejuvenating the old industry bases of Northeast China. It will stimulate Liaoning's coastal economy and the development of foreign economic relations for the hinterland of Northeast China. Li Keqiang, CPC (Communist Party of China) Secretary of Liaoning Provincial Committee, was a rising political star who was widely seen as one of the front-runners to succeed Hu Jintao. The development of Changxing Island would help boost Li's image as a new, great leader within the Party and among the Chinese.

Changxing Island, situated at the mouth of Yangtze River, the second largest island in Shanghai, has a total land area of 88km2. With activation of the project of Yangtze Tunnel and Bridge, Changxing Island, nearest to Shanghai, become an essential region for new development of Shanghai. Since 2001, Shanghai municipal government has studied and assessed development orientation of three islands that are of essence for strategic development of Shanghai. In 2004, development orientation and functions of the three islands were identified respectively; among which, Changxing Island was identified as world-class ship-building base, becoming one of six industrial bases that Shanghai attaches special importance to develop.

Changxing Island will form the layout of "one-core, two-axis and five-districts". One-core means Fenghuang Town is population center, human landscape center, and life service center; it is also the center of the town construction in Changxing Island. It will consist east and west districts, becoming focus of Changxing. Two-axis means the development axis of the island. Panyuan Road is the main trunk line that crosses Changxing Island, and the division line for eco-district and construction-district. Shoreline passage is the principal axis for the development of Changxing, and mainly inter-city traffic. Five-districts means the living district, core industrial district focusing on ship-building, matching industry district, modern service center and eco-district.

Dock No. 3 is 580 meters long, 120 meters wide, and completely encircled by a wall at least 2.5 meters high. A giant gantry crane has been built, with a capacity to lift at least 600 tons. The dock is large enough to build a medium-sized conventional aircraft carrier similar to the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov class with a light load displacement of about 50,000 tons.

China Shipping International Shipyard Co.,Ltd. is geographically located at the Changxing Island, Shanghai., which is the baggiest ship and marine project base in China. "CSIS"is a large modern joint -venture company, which is recombined at the investment of China Shipping Group Company(Hong Kong) and China Shipping Industrial Company together. The company mainly focuses on the repairing, building and transformation of the general and specialized and high performance vessels, the repairing and reconstruction of off shore platform and marine engineering, etc. It has a 3500-metre long coastal line, with a 1000- meter width of water area, and the water depth of minus 10 to 16 meters deep(excluding tide wave).VLCC of 340 meters in length can turn around on site. It is not only suitable for the general large-scale ships repair, but also suitable for the marine engineering including the conversion work of FPSO oil drilling platform.

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