China's shipbuilding sector has reported a string of major breakthroughs in recent days, fueling momentum as high-end vessel deliveries accelerate its shift toward a world-class industrial cluster.

A 319,000-ton ammonia-ready ultra-large crude carrier (ULCC) has been delivered to a Belgian shipowner. China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)'s Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (BSIC) developed the vessel, which is expected to enable near-zero carbon emissions across its full voyage in the future.

Meanwhile, a 180,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, independently designed and built in China, has been completed in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, meeting delivery standards.

Built by China Merchants Industry (CMI) Haimen Base, the vessel adopts a dual-fuel low-speed propulsion system, with a low evaporation rate and strong environmental performance, marking a major breakthrough for China's shipbuilders in the construction of large clean-energy vessels.
In addition, China has delivered the world's largest pile-driving vessel in Nantong, providing key equipment support for large cross-sea bridges and offshore engineering projects.

The self-developed vessel measures about 130 meters in length and 40 meters in width, and is equipped with a 156-meter derrick capable of installing piles up to seven meters in diameter and weighing 700 tonnes, with centimeter-level positioning accuracy, making it the most powerful pile-driving vessel of its kind.

This steady rollout of high-end equipment in China is accelerating the formation of a world-class industrial cluster, an industry observer commented.