COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Plans RMB8.2 Billion Tianjin Shipbuilding Base
The proposed Tianjin shipbuilding and offshore base has entered engineering-survey tender preparation, with two 300,000-dwt dry docks, six outfitting berths and vessel deliveries targeted from 2029.
COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry is advancing early-stage engineering surveys for a proposed shipbuilding and offshore fabrication base in Tianjin. A municipal tender plan published on 16 September put estimated total investment at about RMB8.2 billion and scheduled the survey tender for 25 October. The project remains at the planning and procurement-preparation stage; public disclosures do not indicate that main construction has begun.
The planned yard would include two 300,000-dwt dry docks and three 300,000-dwt outfitting quays. With vessels able to berth on both sides, the quays would provide six berths in total. The scheme also includes a 10,000-dwt materials terminal, a workboat pier and supporting production facilities. The current procurement covers preliminary and detailed engineering surveys, with a planned duration of 90 days.
The latest configuration adds detail to the framework agreement signed in June 2025, when the development was described as a three-dock, seven-berth repair, conversion and offshore-engineering base. Earlier Tianjin Free Trade Zone disclosures focused on large-vessel repair and offshore conversion, with potential expansion into offshore assembly and green-vessel construction. The latest tender title and subsequent industry briefings point to a stronger newbuilding role.
At a Tianjin shipbuilding and offshore supply-chain conference in June, Dalian COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry said the new base in the Lingang area was moving forward. It identified large bulk carriers and containerships as the yard’s principal products and said vessel deliveries were expected to begin in 2029. The company also highlighted the need to establish a stable, efficient and localised supplier network.
Tianjin already has a substantial shipbuilding and offshore equipment cluster. The Tianjin Free Trade Zone reported offshore equipment output of RMB22.14 billion in 2025, up 31.7%, and said the area had attracted nearly 150 suppliers alongside major industrial companies including CSSC Tianjin Shipbuilding, BOMESC and COOEC.
The survey tender is an enabling step that will provide geological and hydrological data for the dock, quay and site design. Approvals, construction tenders, equipment procurement and vessel contracts would still be required before the base reaches production. The RMB8.2 billion figure is the estimated investment stated in the current tender plan and may change as the design and implementation scope are finalised.