Qiuyang Gaogao, fruitful. On August 27, on the busy shoreline of Hudong-Zhonghua, the first ship "CMA CMA CGM Hefeng" built by China Shipbuilding (600150) Group for the French CMA CGM Group for the project of 10 15000TEU container ships was successfully named and delivered. The Sino-French friendship ship, which was witnessed by the leaders of China and France, will set sail from Shanghai to serve the route from the Far East to the Middle East.

Two years ago, on March 25, 2019 local time in Paris, France, under the witness of Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Macron, China State Shipbuilding Corporation and CMA CGM signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Ship Trading, together with Jiangnan Shipbuilding and Hudong Zhonghua, signed a contract for the construction of 10 15000TEU ultra-large container ships with CMA CGM. After two years, the first-made ship was successfully delivered, marking the latest results of the strategic cooperation framework agreement signed by the leaders of China and France. The series of large container ships will gradually enter the delivery period.

Ten years of deep cultivation to lay the foundation for construction

Successfully undertook the project of 10 15000TEU energy-saving and environmentally-friendly container ships of this series, indicating that China’s shipbuilding industry’s capabilities in basic ship performance research, ship design, production technology, shipbuilding management, and system support have been recognized by the world’s top shipowners. The CSSC shipping and marine industry market is the main platform of the China Shipbuilding Trading Company, which has an important responsibility, and has played an important role in the successful promotion of 10 15000TEU container ships.

In 2018, after learning that the CMA CGM Group had an initial demand for additional capacity, China Shipbuilding Trading Corporation responded quickly and made relevant preparations in a timely manner, actively engaged in dialogue and negotiation with the shipowner’s senior management, and provided technical and business solutions and assistance. The implementation of financing and other aspects provided the shipowner with an overall solution for the project. In the end, with the advantages of professional technical capabilities, competitive delivery time and financing guarantee conditions, China Shipbuilding Trading Corporation, in conjunction with Jiangnan Shipbuilding, Hudong Zhonghua and 708, achieved success with CMA CGM in March 2019 Sign up.

All these successes are inseparable from the hard work of China Shipbuilding Trading Company in the field of large-scale "green" container ships in the world. Since 2008, China Shipbuilding Trading Corporation and CMA CGM have conducted many exchanges on the use requirements and future development trends of large container ships, and have cooperated with the ship design institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation on 16000TEU, 18000TEU, and 23000TEU container ships. The ship type has been developed and designed. In the field of large-scale green and energy-saving container ships, China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. combined with the study and judgment of market trends, carried out active marketing and promotion of liner companies, combined with the operation needs of ship owners, led the ship design institutes to continuously carry out R&D and design updates, and developed The 15000TEU ship type, the largest ship that crosses the Panama route, has laid a solid foundation for timely response to market demand.

In June 2013, after fierce competition with South Korean shipping companies, China State Shipbuilding Corporation and CMA CGM signed a contract for the construction of three 16000TEU (and later upgraded to 18000TEU) container ships. This was the largest container ship order undertaken by China at that time. Breaking the monopoly position of Korean shipyards in the field of ultra-large container ship construction is a milestone. Based on the previous good cooperation relationship, in early 2017, CMA CGM negotiated with Jiangnan Shipbuilding and Hudong Zhonghua on the construction of 9 23000TEU dual-fuel container ships through the China Shipbuilding Trading Company. After multiple rounds of competition and arduous negotiations with mainstream Japanese and Korean shipyards, China State Shipbuilding Corporation successfully obtained the batch of orders by virtue of its advantages in design, delivery, construction and financing, and signed a ship construction contract in September 2017. This is the world's first ultra-large container ship with dual-fuel propulsion. At present, all 9 container ships have been delivered.

In 2021, China Shipbuilding Corporation will give full play to the role of the trading company's main platform for the marine industry market operation, and once again work together with CMA CGM to sign an order for 22 container ships of type 3, setting a new record of cooperation orders between the two parties. In the past ten years, the series of green container ship projects have been successfully signed and delivered successfully, which has firmly established the strategic cooperative relationship between China State Shipbuilding Corporation and CMA CGM Group, and laid a solid foundation for the subsequent construction of CMA CGM container ships.

Facing difficulties and advancing the first ship delivery

In December 2019, the project of 10 15000TEU series ships officially entered the implementation stage. Among them, the first ship and other series of 5 ships equipped with scrubber towers and conventional propulsion systems were built in Hudong Zhonghua. At the beginning of 2020, the new crown pneumonia epidemic raged around the world, and many ship construction projects were affected to varying degrees, and the 15000TEU ultra-large container ship project was no exception. According to the project manager, due to visa, isolation and other factors, for the smooth progress of the project, China Shipbuilding Trading Corporation has extended the 23000TEU project management model, organizing shipowners, shipyards, ship inspections and major equipment manufacturers in the form of weekly video conferences. Hold regular meetings to report to the ship owner the progress of the project construction and major problems encountered in coordination. Among them, the experience of intervening in coordinating crane equipment has made them deeply remembered.

The original manufacturer's design and production of the crane for the 15000TEU ultra-large container ship could not meet the technical requirements specified in the contract, which not only affected the ship's production schedule but also caused great losses to the shipyard. After understanding the situation, China Shipbuilding Trading promptly communicated with the shipyard project team personnel and the shipowner, and coordinated to make new solutions, including the replacement of the crane, the new manufacturer's selection plan, and related economic compensation, etc. Get in touch with the crane manufacturer, try to take remedial measures, through active negotiations, and constantly adjust the solution according to the actual needs of the shipowner and shipyard, and finally solve the crane problem satisfactorily.

The impact of the epidemic does not stop there. Even after the resumption of work and production, it has brought very severe challenges to the shipyard. After understanding that the shipyard's production progress was blocked, China Shipbuilding Trading notified the shipowner of the domestic epidemic situation in writing at the first time, and then conducted multiple rounds of business negotiations with the CMA CGM Group to reduce the cycle impact of the epidemic on the shipyard.

Zhang Dalei, general manager of the second division of China Shipbuilding Trading, introduced that China Shipbuilding Trading and CMA CGM have maintained a very good state of communication. During the construction of the 15000TEU ultra-large container ship project, China Shipbuilding Trading continued its active work style, assisting the shipyard to overcome and solve one problem after another, becoming an important bridge for communication between the shipowner and the shipyard, and when it comes to periodic adjustments The interests of all parties can always be safeguarded in business negotiations such as project modification and adjustment. During the implementation of the project, China Shipbuilding Trading's service guarantee work such as negotiation and communication, coordination and resolution of problems has been fully affirmed by the shipowner and shipyard, laying a solid foundation for the orderly promotion of the project.

Because of the advanced technical characteristics of green energy saving and environmental protection, the series of large container ships are nicknamed "The Green Giant" in the shipbuilding and shipping industries. The contract to build these 10 series of "Green Giants" is one of the important achievements of China's initiative to build the "Belt and Road". It is also an important practice of China's shipbuilding industry in the global green shipping, low-carbon and environmental protection, supported by advanced technology. With the smooth delivery of the first ship, the subsequent series of ships will gradually enter the fast lane of delivery, which will further enhance the brand awareness of China State Shipbuilding Corporation in the field of large green container ships and further consolidate China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s new high-value-added ship market. International status.Editor/Baohongying