Hengli Heavy looks to hire 30,000 for new China shipyard
Chinese builder Hengli’s new ‘Future Factory’ in Dalian aims to hire 30,000 workers and produce cutting-edge green ships and offshore equipment
Construction of the new yard was completed in just five months, highlighting the Chinese builder’s aggressiveness in capacity expansion. However, the ambitious project faces challenges
CHINESE shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industry is looking to hire 30,000 workers as it launches a new shipyard in Dalian, China.
The newly inaugurated “Future Factory”, completed in just 153 days on Changxing Island, spans over 2m square metres of building space across 17 large workshops, said Hengli in a statement.
Once fully operational, the facility will employ a total workforce of 50,000 and deliver impressive production capabilities allowing it to build high-value products, including very large crude carriers, ultra-large containerships, very large gas carriers and offshore drilling units, as well as alternative-fuel engines.
Hengli’s rapid rise began with the acquisition of the dormant assets of STX (Dalian) in July 2022 for Yuan 2.1bn ($288m).
Once the world’s fourth-largest shipbuilder, STX Group had invested $3bn in 2006 to establish a shipbuilding base in Dalian, but left the facility unused for a decade.
Hengli revitalised and rebranded the facility which officially launched in January 2023.
The latest available data from Hengli shows that by October 2024, the company had secured 140 newbuilding orders worth approximately $10.8bn, spanning bulk carriers, VLCCs, very large ore carriers, and containerships, with deliveries scheduled through 2028.
Despite its rapid expansion, Hengli has faced internal challenges.
Less than 10 days ago, the company dismissed deputy general manager Zhang Tao, who oversaw ship sales and marketing. Hengli’s founder, Chen Jianhua, has taken over Zhang’s responsibilities to ensure a smooth transition during the company’s shipbuilding ramp-up.
There is speculation that the dismissal of Zhang, a seasoned executive with experience at China Shipbuilding Industry Corp and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, may be linked to the low pricing of containership orders placed by Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Zhang’s departure raises concerns about Hengli’s ability to execute its ambitious plans, including handling a growing portfolio of technically complex projects, with delivery peaks expected after 2026.
Additionally, external risks driven by geopolitics are accumulating, as highlighted by the US trade envoy recently concluding that China’s dominance of shipbuilding and shipping is “unreasonable”, setting the stage for potential trade actions.
