Published on: 2026-05-11
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In the context of the rapid development of shipbuilding in China, Wang Chun, Deputy Director of the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Development Institute under the China State Shipbuilding Group, has devoted more than ten years to working in the field of maritime shipbuilding.
The environmentally friendly container ships with a capacity of 9000–24000 TEU developed under his leadership have gained recognition from international shipowners. In addition, in the field of equipment for the LNG production chain, he achieved breakthroughs in a number of key technologies, including the design of sealing systems for type B LNG tanks, improved design analysis of LNG tankers, and the design of lightweight hull structures.These achievements made a significant contribution to independent developments and improvements in high-tech equipment for cleaning and transportation, including Chinese fifth-generation gas carriers with a volume of 174,000 cubic meters and ultra-large gas carriers with a volume of 271,000 cubic meters.
Wan Chun, Deputy Director of the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Development Institute under the China State Shipbuilding Group, was awarded the title “Young Pioneer of the New Era 2026.” Photo: Wan Quan / “China” Magazine
LNG tankers (LNG — English abbreviation for liquefied natural gas carrier), the full name — a transport vessel for carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), are also called “marine super refrigerators,” since they transport chilled natural gas.
With 16 years of experience working with LPG tankers, 38-year-old Wan Zhu became a witness to how China overcame technological backwardness and achieved independence in this sphere of high-tech shipbuilding.
To design a vessel, it is necessary to study it thoroughly
In 2010, Wan Chun graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) with a major in “Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.” He had many prospects ahead, but he chose to work for Hudong-Zhonghua company. “My academic advisor at the time didn’t quite understand this, but I wanted to engage in something practical.”
The first three years, Wan Chun worked directly in production, going through the entire process of building a ship – from cutting the first steel plate to assembly, shipyard construction, launching the ship from the dock, adjustments at the pier, and sea trials. “A ship is a very complex structure, and if you don’t work with it in practice, you’ll never understand where the key points lie.” Thanks to this experience, in his further work on projects, he learned to anticipate the real production conditions and avoid theoretical mistakes.
At the beginning of 2014, Wan Chung was transferred to the Research and Development Institute of the shipbuilding company Hudong-Zhonghua, where he engaged in the development of LNG tankers. Initially, he was responsible for the safety analysis of the structure: using finite element calculations and simulation modeling, he checked the stress distribution in the ship’s hull during wave action, with the goal of preventing accidents like the rupture of container ships at sea. Later, his scope of work gradually expanded to areas such as vibration and noise, cryogenic pipelines, as well as studying the impact of LNG at a temperature of minus 163 °C on ship equipment.
The technical experience accumulated over more than ten years has allowed Chinese developers in the field of LNG tankers to make a qualitative leap. Wan Zhun deeply feels these changes. “Earlier we learned from colleagues from South Korea. But now everything is the opposite: now they come to us for materials,” says Wan Zhun.
Western production complex of the shipbuilding company Hudong-Zhonghua (part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation). Photo provided by Hudong-Zhonghua.
Three steps to break the monopoly
LNG tankers are called the “pearl in the crown of shipbuilding,” and the key technologies of the enclosure system have long been monopolized by the French company GTT. This is a French engineering company specializing in the enclosure systems for liquefied natural gas. All shipyards worldwide building tankers for LNG transport with membrane tanks are obliged to use GTT’s technical solutions, pay huge patent fees, and also obtain GTT’s approval for all materials and technological processes.
“GTT transformed technology into an integral system. Even the slightest change in drawings required us to go through the approval procedure, which took a lot of time. Previously, the steel Invar was supplied by only one French company, and when we had many orders, they could not ensure deliveries, which directly affected the production cycle,” says Van Chung.
To find a way out of this situation, Wang Zhoun’s team took three steps:
The first step was the promotion of replacing imported materials and equipment with domestic equivalents. Through cooperation with enterprises such as Baowu Steel and universities, it was possible to master the technology for producing key materials, such as steel and Invar. Currently, domestic materials are already able to meet a large part of production needs, which has not only reduced costs but also ensured the safety of the supply chain.
The second step was the complete mastery of the “black box” — the key GTT technologies. Thanks to numerous experiments and calculations, it was possible to clarify the principles underlying each structural solution.
The third step was the development of a fully independent sealing system. In July 2024, the sealing system for a Type B tank was successfully applied on a 14,000-cubic-meter capacity LNG tanker-refueler. “This means we will not have to pay patent fees for this vessel.” Currently, this technology is also used in the fuel compartments of container carriers operating on LNG.
To test the reliability of new technologies, the company Hudong-Zhonghua built the only ground-based pilot platform in the country for testing cryogenic LNG systems, and Wan Zhongjun serves as the deputy director of this platform. “Shipowners are reluctant to immediately install new equipment on the ship; therefore, we first conduct onshore tests using real LNG as the working environment for several hundred hours to fully confirm reliability and dispel the concerns of shipowners.”This platform serves not only the courts of the Hudong-Zhonghua company but also acts as a testing ground for domestic equipment across the entire industry.
The LNG tanker Greenergy Eagle, the world’s first large-capacity tanker for transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) of the “Changshen” series of the fifth generation with a volume of 174,000 cubic meters, independently developed, designed, and built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited. Photo: Xue Xun / “China Magazine”
Do not forget about dangers in prosperous times, aim for 2030
As of today, the order portfolio for LNG tankers of the Hudong-Zhonghua company is scheduled up to 2031, and the localization level of production exceeds 80%. As a result of many years of development in the global LNG tanker market, a situation has formed in which the leading positions are shared between China and South Korea. Wang Chun believes that currently China and South Korea are going hand in hand in the construction of large-capacity LNG tankers, and in certain areas China has already taken the lead.However, according to Wan Chun, the feeling of crisis still persists, and it is caused not only by competition from industry peers, but also by the fact that the company has not yet achieved full independence in the field of key technologies.
Wan Chun said that the GTT patent term is indeed 20 years, and after expiration, the technologies will become publicly accessible. However, this does not mean that GTT’s monopoly will be destroyed, and there are two reasons for this: first, GTT currently holds about 4000 valid patents, meaning the company has preemptively secured rights to all possible technical solutions; second, the company constantly updates and modernizes its technologies.
Reservoir for liquefied gas (LPG) in the process of construction. Photo: Xue Xun / China Magazine
It is precisely for this reason that Van Chung and his team firmly decided to independently develop a B-type sealing system. “We cannot always follow, adjusting to someone else’s pace; we must have our own technological system.” Speaking about the independently developed B-type tank, Van Chung admits: “We still have room for further improvement, and the team continues to optimize the technology and reduce the lag. To catch up with GTT over a decade, which has accumulated more than fifty years of technological experience, it is necessary to move step by step.”We have already taken an important step in developing our own sealing system, successfully tested and applied it on a real vessel.
According to Wan Chung, by 2025 Chinese trucks for LNG transportation will indeed become one of the global leaders; we will continue to focus efforts on modernizing production capacities and updating technologies, achieving constant breakthroughs and striving for leadership on the path of improving quality and expanding capacities, as well as technological innovations.
Regarding the future development of ship types, Wan Chun spoke about three directions: increasing the size of ships — based on existing main ship types with a volume of 174,000 cubic meters, universal ships with a volume of 200,000 cubic meters and specialized ships with a volume of 271,000 cubic meters will be developed, which will help reduce unit transportation costs; more environmentally friendly — development of technologies with zero carbon footprint, meeting the requirements of the International Maritime Organization for emission reductions; more intelligent — gradual introduction of unmanned navigation in the open sea.
Wan Chun said that the greatest feeling of satisfaction he experiences is when he sees a ship, the design of which he participated in, sailing at sea. “Writing a thesis on the open sea is the mission of our generation of shipbuilders.”
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