Shipbuilder speeds up its green transition

ATHENS — The shipbuilding sector of China is accelerating its transition toward greener and smarter development, contributing new solutions to the global maritime sector's low-carbon transformation, according to a report released last week in Athens, the capital of Greece.

The report was released during a series of China-hosted events held on the sidelines of Posidonia 2026, one of the world's leading maritime exhibitions.

The report said China is steadily advancing from being the world's largest shipbuilder to setting the pace for the global shipbuilding sector, driven by innovation, green development and intelligent manufacturing.

According to the report, Chinese shipyards recorded strong growth in the first quarter of 2026, with new orders surging more than 190 percent year-on-year. Green vessels accounted for 80.2 percent of total new orders, reflecting the industry's growing commitment to sustainable development.

The report noted that China has established a diversified industrial ecosystem for alternative marine fuels, including liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, while also making significant progress in intelligent manufacturing through the development of smart factories and digitally connected production systems.

It also identified several challenges facing the industry, including uncertainties surrounding global decarbonization pathways, insufficient supporting infrastructure for alternative fuels and gaps in digitalization among smaller suppliers.

The report said green and intelligent development will remain the twin drivers of high-quality growth for China's shipbuilding sector and will support its deeper integration into the global maritime value chain.

China's shipbuilding industry has become the world's shipbuilding hub. It boasts vast coastal clusters in the East China city of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in East China and Guangdong province in South China, as well as steadily increasing engineering depth. This gives China a strong presence in the construction of bulk carriers, tankers and container ships, while also allowing the country to enter higher-spec niches.

XINHUA-CHINA DAILY