Carrying human dreams to the sea. From October 12 to 15, 2023 World Marine Equipment Conference will be held in Fuzhou. More than 3,000 guests from relevant international organizations in the world marine field, powerful countries in marine equipment and countries along the B&R initiative, will attend this grand event. The China Marine Equipment Expo held in the same period will attract more than 50,000 professional visitors from all over the world. Due to this grand event, the world once again focuses on the blessed state. Then, what are the advantages of Fuzhou?
Mawei shipbuilding factory
Fuzhou marine equipment industry has a long history and a good reputation
On September 3, there were many tourists in China Ship Administration Cultural City in Mawei District, Fuzhou. “Mawei Ship Administration was the birthplace of modern industry in China. Seeing so many ship models today has given me a deeper understanding of the long history and outstanding achievements of Fuzhou’s marine equipment manufacturing.” said Jiang Kexin who is from Pingtung Middle School in Fuzhou, standing in front of the “Ningshao” ship model built by Fuzhou Shipping Administration in 1904.
Fuzhou shipbuilding industry has a long history. In the Warring States Period, Sun Xiu once set up a captain of the standard ship in Houguan (now Fuzhou) of Jian’an County, responsible for leading the prisoners to build ships. Some of the warships had five floors, and some could accommodate 3,000 people. During the Six Dynasties, a large number of merchant ships built in Fuzhou went out to sea. The boat with a pointed bottom built in Fuzhou in the Tang Dynasty is famous all over the world. During the Song Dynasty, Fuzhou became one of the centers of shipbuilding industry in China, and “sea boat” became one of Fuzhou’s “native products”. At that time, people praised Fujian boat was the top of the sea boat. In the Ming Dynasty, the Fu boat became one of the three types of sailing wooden sailboats in China, and the quality of civilian boats even surpassed that of official boats and warships. Some countries came to Fuzhou to build, repair and buy boats.
After modern times, advanced western shipbuilding technology was introduced to Fuzhou, especially after the founding of Fujian Shipping Administration in 1866, Fuzhou shipbuilding technology ushered in upgrading. Fuzhou introduced advanced shipbuilding technology and power machines, which greatly improved the production efficiency, and sent overseas students to Britain, France and other countries for further study and training. Since then, it has opened the era of machine shipbuilding industry in China, and promoted the rise of modern Chinese national industry.
“Fuzhou prospered because of the sea, so the development of shipbuilding industry is significant. And the development of shipbuilding industry expanded overseas exchanges and trade. The two factors promoted each other and made Fuzhou a center of international trade and exchanges.” A person from the Fuzhou Ship Administration Culture Research Association said.
High value-added shipbuilding technology leads the world
The long history and good foundation brought confidence for Fuzhou to undertake the World Marine Equipment Conference and the China Marine Equipment Expo. The new vitality of the shipbuilding industry in Fuzhou make Fuzhou full of enthusiasm for holding two major events.
On September 2, on the Culu Island in Lianjiang, the 2900TEU container ship (MW465-8) built by Mawei Shipbuilding under Fujian Shipping Administration is stepping up construction. As the second-generation Chittagong-type green energy-saving and environment-friendly container ship, it has a deadweight of about 36,380 tons and is an efficient, economical and environment-friendly container ship.
In September and December, 2021, TS Shipping ordered six 2900TEU container ships in Mawei Shipbuilding twice, which is also the largest container ship ever built in Mawei Shipbuilding. At present, the first 2900TEU container ship “TS VANCOUVER” (MW462-1) was delivered in July, and the second ship “TS TACOMA” (MW462-2) was also signed and delivered in August.
In addition, in the shipyard, Fuzhou’s first 7500-parking dual-fuel car ro-ro ship is also under construction. “The shipbuilding technology of Mawei Shipbuilding has been widely recognized by the industry. We ordered 12 7,500-parking dual-fuel ro-ro vehicles, mainly serving the export of domestic cars in China, and the routes will cover the whole world.” Huang Shiwu, assistant general manager of Guangzhou COSCO Shipping Co., Ltd. said.
On the north bank of Luoyuan Bay in Fuzhou, Fujian Huadong Shipyard Co., Ltd. is also busy. On the coastline, more than a dozen foreign ships docked at the berth, and the workers were working hard on maintenance. In recent years, the demand for maintenance of international ships is increasing day by day, and the business volume of shipyard continues to rise, covering more than 20 countries and regions such as Japan and South Korea.
“In 2022, we repaired 241 foreign ships, with an output value of RMB 1.05 billion. The number of ships repaired and the output value have made steady progress.” The person in charge of Fujian Huadong Shipyard said that the shipyard is constantly strengthening hardware construction and striving to build a medium-sized and large-sized shipyard with higher production efficiency and leading digital coverage in two years.
“Fuzhou will make full use of the industrial base and location advantages, accelerate the formation of industrial gathering places led by Mawei Shipbuilding, Huadong Shipyard and other enterprises, and focus on the development of special high-tech ships such as medium and large containers, distribution carriers, ocean-going fishing vessels, marine exploration and offshore drilling platforms, and deep-sea breeding platforms, so as to build an important modern ship building base on the southeast coast.” Relevant persons from the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology said that at present, the construction technology of a number of high value-added ships, such as “Fuzhou-made” deep-sea mining ships, marine rescue ships and high-horsepower work tugboats, has reached the international leading level, which has effectively promoted the high-quality development of Fuzhou marine economy.
“Made in Fuzhou” marine equipment is high-end, intelligent and green
There is a steel “Big Mac” in Dinghai Bay of Lianjiang, which is a far-reaching mechanized marine fish breeding platform independently developed by local enterprises in Lianjiang-“Dinghai Bay No.1”. The giant cages with tens of thousands of cubic meters of aquaculture water provide sufficient “space” for fish, shipping more than 100,000 large yellow croakers for Chinese people.
“In recent years, the development of Fuzhou marine equipment industry has been characterized by high-end, intelligent and green.” Relevant persons from the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology said that with the launch of 100 sets of 10,000-ton deep-sea intelligent breeding platforms, the construction of modern marine pastures in Fuzhou has been steadily advanced, and the “blue granary” has been full of vitality; Fujian Yongfu Electric Power Company has become a leading enterprise in offshore wind power engineering technology in China, and has designed the offshore wind power engineering with the largest scale, the largest number, the largest single machine capacity, the best single foundation weight and the highest height in the world. The graphene-based super coating developed by Fuzhou enterprises can prolong the maintenance cycle and service life of marine equipment after it is put into the construction projects of ships, offshore platforms and islets…
Stand by the sea and thrive on it. The sea is a great advantage of Fuzhou’s development, and it is inseparable from the support of the marine equipment. In recent years, Fuzhou has carried out the three-year action of high-quality development of marine economy, continuously launched the international brand of “Fuzhou on the Sea”, and accelerated the development of marine equipment industry to high-end, intelligent and clustered. Nowadays, “Fuzhou-made” is expanding the new space for the construction, and its technology has become a new engine to activate the marine economy. (Written by reporter Jiang Hai and photographed by Lin Shuangwei)