Posted on December 8, 2025
Construction on 25,000-container ship could start in the next 10 years, but a lot remains to be done, a top executive says
State-owned Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) plans to build the world’s first nuclear-powered container vessel, a move that would cement China’s dominance in an industry increasingly shifting to renewable energy.
Lin Qingshan, vice-president of the Shanghai-based shipbuilder, told the Post on Thursday that a 25,000-container vessel was being designed, adding that these next-generation ships would use nuclear power. Construction could start in 10 years’ time, he said.
“We will also invest in building shipyards slated for constructing nuclear-powered [container] vessels,” Lin said in an interview with the Post during the Marintec China conference in Shanghai. “Jiangnan aims to be a front runner in this field.”
The executive declined to disclose the investment required for such a purpose-built shipyard for building nuclear-powered vessels.
Ma Yunxiang, assistant president of Jiangnan’s parent China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), said at the Marintec event, which ended on Friday, that the world’s largest shipbuilding conglomerate would build more cruise liners, deep-ocean drilling ships and nuclear-powered vessels to move up the value chain.
The vessels designed by Jiangnan would be powered by a thorium-based molten salt reactor with an output of 200 megawatts, Lin said. He added that it was one of six internationally recognised fourth-generation reactor designs, with a lifespan of 40 years.
A model of a manned submersible is displayed at Marintec China last week. Photo: Xinhua
However, a large nuclear-powered merchant ship has yet to be built. These ships would have several advantages over conventional vessels like zero emissions, extended operational range, lower fuel costs and higher speeds.
Lin said regulatory hurdles remained an issue for commercialising the technology because it was still unclear which government agency would approve construction of a nuclear-powered ship.
China’s shipbuilding firms, from the gargantuan CSSC to privately owned shipyards, held 65 per cent of global orders in deadweight tonnage terms during the first three quarters of 2025, compared with about 75 per cent a year earlier, according to shipping services provider Clarksons.
Geopolitical tensions resulted in a plunge in orders for Chinese-made vessels this year, which stood at 10.5 million tonnes in the three months to September, down 61 per cent from 26.9 million tonnes a year earlier, according to Clarksons.
Shipbuilding is also an area where US President Donald Trump aimed to challenge China’s dominance. He has proposed investing tens of billions of dollars to revitalise American shipyards.
Other Chinese companies like Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle battery producer, are also developing large new-energy vessels amid an accelerated decarbonisation drive.
CATL announced on Thursday that it would be able to build its first battery-powered ocean vessel in three years’ time.
CSSC, which alone controls one-third of the global shipbuilding market, aims to diversify its product portfolio to maintain profitability by building more advanced ships with more use of artificial intelligence and new energy technologies.
The company is constructing Adora Flora City, mainland China’s second self-built cruise ship, which is due to be delivered next year.
In late 2024, CSSC delivered deep-ocean drilling ship Mengxiang, the mainland’s first such vessel. It is capable of navigating against extreme wind conditions and could drill as deep as 11,000 metres.
Jiangnan, China’s oldest shipyard, founded in 1865, built the country’s first aircraft carrier, Fujian, using indigenous technology and manufacturing techniques.
CSSC displayed its latest innovations at Marintec, which covered an area of 110,000 square metres at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and attracted a record 2,200 exhibitors.
