The privately-owned Chinese yard is currently working on orders from Seaspan Corporation to build a total of eleven 10,000-teu containerships scheduled for delivery from 2014 to 2015.
Ren noted that Seaspan had recently contracted South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to build five 14,000 teu class containerships, but he highlighted that Yangzijiang had not intended to compete for this order.
“We will focus on building 10,000 teu vessels. Currently, not many Chinese shipyards are able to produce containerships of 10,000 teu and above,” he said, pointing out that Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding are among the few that are capable of this.
The second largest container vessels being built at Yangzijiang are nine 4,800 teu vessels. The yard boasts an orderbook of 39 containerships worth $2.66bn and 25 dry bulk carriers worth $710m.
“In the long run, our real competitors are still South Korean and Japanese shipbuilders,” Ren revealed.
As part of Yangzijiang's strategy to compete globally and diversify from the conventional shipbuilding sector, the yard ventured into building offshore oil rigs, ship demolishing and steel fabrication.
Ren, however, warned of moving too quickly into the construction of large offshore units due to the sector's tougher financing environment of a tail-heavy payment of 90% from buyers or investors.
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