Recently, the image of the world’s LNG dual-fuel container vessel crossing Jiangyin Yangtze River Bridge went viral online. This oceangoing behemoth, designed and built independently by China, has its hull built with the high-quality shipbuilding steel plates and low-stress steel plates supplied by Shagang Group. The striking debut of this giant vessel not only underscores the comprehensive strength of China’s shipbuilding industry, but also serves as a telling illustration of China’s self-sufficiency in high-end steel materials.

In Shagang’s heavy-plate production facility, glowing red steel slabs move in sequence through the process of heating, rolling, and finishing, etc., with batches of high-end shipbuilding steel plates rolling off the production line. Soon enough, these products will be delivered to shipyards across China, where they will be used to build the very armor that safeguards the oceangoing giants.

With years of dedicated efforts in the high-end steel market, Shagang has built up industry-leading production facilities and advantages in technical research & development. As a steel enterprise with both 5,000mm heavy-plate mill and 3,500mm medium-plate mill, Shagang ranks among the top domestic suppliers in terms of annual shipbuilding steel output, ensuring a stable, sufficient and high-quality material supply for major shipbuilders.

Depending on accumulated technical expertise and sustained innovation, Shagang has developed a portfolio of core products, including thick crack-arrest steel, low-temperature steel for LNG/LEG/LPG carriers, and welding shipbuilding plates capable of withstanding heat inputs as high as 700 kJ/cm. Shagang has established a complete product system of shipbuilding steel for six-category major hull structures, covering the demands of mainstream high-end vessel types such as large container ships, automobile carriers and liquefied gas carriers.

At present, China is accelerating its transition from a large shipbuilding nation to a global shipbuilding powerhouse. High-end shipbuilding steel is a critical foundational material, and its independent supply capacity is directly related to the security of the entire industrial chain. Shagang, and other domestic leading enterprises in the steel industry, have formed relatively complete industrial supporting capabilities from R&D to mass production through years of deep engagement, providing strong support for ensuring the shipbuilding steel demands for high-end vessels in China.