Shipbuilders in Guangzhou are seeing a sharp rise in orders for low-emission vessels, positioning the city as a key player in China’s push to develop a green shipbuilding industry, the Guangdong news website South reports.
From January to May, Guangdong Province’s shipbuilding output rose 2.5 percent year on year, while order backlogs climbed 29.3 percent, according to the provincial industry association. This is despite a global slowdown in new ship orders.
The growth comes ahead of new international rules on shipping emissions. In April, the International Maritime Organization approved a framework that will impose carbon pricing and fuel standards on large ocean-going vessels. The measures are set to be adopted in October 2025 and take effect by 2027.
One local breakthrough has been Guangzhou HG Marine Co.’s development of a rim-driven electric propulsion system that runs with zero pollution, low noise and high efficiency. According to the company’s head, Qiu Xiangyao, these thrusters offer major advantages over traditional ship propellers – which he said disturbed marine life and could leak oil.
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“The company has maintained strong growth this year, with orders surging and production scheduled more than a year ahead,” said Qiu, noting that new export markets were opening up for the product.
Another recent milestone included the maiden voyage of the world’s first pure ammonia-powered demonstration vessel in Hefei, Anhui Province. Ammonia does not emit carbon when fully combusted and is gaining traction as a cleaner fuel option for shipping.
In June, CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited started building China’s first LPG/liquid ammonia carrier – and has orders for 16 of the vessels. In the first four months of 2025, the company secured over 13.7 billion yuan (about US$1.92 billion) in new contracts, up 111 percent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Limited has more than 90 230-metre-long LNG dual-fuel car carriers on order, 80 percent of which have been designed as “green” vessels.
