Think big

Dalian can lay claim to the world's largest floating production and storage offloading vessel, which can hold 2 million barrels of crude oil and serves as a multifunctional offshore oil and gas factory.

There are only two such vessels in the world. The first one was delivered two years ago and the second, currently under construction in Dalian, is set to be delivered in June.

As a subcontractor for the vessel, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is responsible for the design and construction of the hull. With more than 200 designers involved in the project, the design and construction period was shortened from over 30 months to 20 months.

"For the first vessel, we used integral construction, which takes a long time (working) from the stern to the bow using a segmented layered construction method, like building blocks," said Guo Hongsheng, chief designer of the project.

"For the second one, we used two large sections — the bow section and the stern section,"

These two large sections were also built using a segmented building block method in order to save construction time.

"This way, it will greatly save the construction period and reduce labor costs. At the same time, a large number of components, including pipelines, cables, etc, have been pre-installed during the segmented stage," Guo explained.

The vessel's pipelines number 36,000, with a total weight exceeding 4,000 tons. The painted area of the vessel covers nearly 900,000 square meters, and the construction volume is more than three times that of a large oil tanker.

Han Dongwang, general manager of DSIC, said the green and intelligent development of the industry will jointly drive its transformation, adding the prospects for the shipbuilding market and demand for supporting equipment are strong.

DSIC will dive into the high-end shipbuilding field, establish long-term cooperative relationships with suppliers, reduce costs, and enhance service quality, he said.

China's shipbuilders need to unite the world's best suppliers and service providers to jointly build a global ecosystem for the sustainable development of the shipbuilding industry, said Li Yanqing, in an interview with China Ship News in early February.

In addition to predicting market changes and promoting technological innovation, shipbuilders need to effectively control costs, ensure production safety, and deliver high-quality products, he said.

China's shipbuilding industry has been developing for more than 40 years in the international market, and its products have gained the trust of shipowners worldwide, he added.

Thirty-four shipbuilding and marine engineering projects were signed at the Dalian conference, covering areas such as green and intelligent upgrades, raw materials, ship and marine engineering equipment, marine intelligent manufacturing, and construction of industrial parks.

One representative of a foreign company that signed a contract expressed amazement at the efficiency and quality of cooperation with Chinese companies.

He said his company decided to invest in a factory in Dalian after visiting the site, and also after being inspired by the vitality of the shipbuilding industry in the city.