On 20 March, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan) and the Zhejiang Branch of China Classification Society signed a cooperation agreement in Zhoushan, alongside a ship inspection service agreement covering the construction and classification of 211,000 DWT bulk carriers. At the same ceremony, the two parties issued a carbon footprint compliance declaration for Fengshouhai, presented as the first such declaration in China’s ship repair industry.
The declaration was linked to the ship repair carbon footprint verification cooperation agreement signed by the two sides on 3 December 2025 during the 22nd China International Maritime Exhibition. Under that arrangement, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan) will serve as the pilot site, while vessels owned by COSCO Shipping Group and selected for maintenance will be used in what the parties described as China’s first pilot program for ship repair carbon footprint certification.
The pilot program is structured around three stages: standard development, practical validation and industry promotion. The two sides said this framework is intended to support the future development of broadly recognized carbon footprint management standards for the ship repair sector.
The latest agreement also sets out deeper cooperation in smart manufacturing and digital transformation, the application of green and low-carbon technologies, and innovation in inspection models. For 2026 to 2028, the parties identified priority work in smart manufacturing capability assessment, digital collaboration in smart welding, and digital ship delivery.
A total of 14 annual cooperation initiatives will be implemented under the plan. The stated aim is to create a benchmark for smart manufacturing collaboration in the shipbuilding industry while supporting the green and low-carbon transition.
Representatives attending the ceremony included Li Ye, General Manager of the Zhejiang Branch of China Classification Society; Qiu Xuefeng, Deputy General Manager; Li Mingxin, Executive Director and Party Secretary of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan); Ma Chuan, General Manager and Deputy Party Secretary; and Ruan Junjie, Assistant General Manager. The two sides said they reached a series of agreements on advancing green and low-carbon transformation and intelligent manufacturing in shipbuilding.
Both parties said they will continue to promote resource sharing and cooperation, deepen technological collaboration, and accelerate digital and green transformation in the shipbuilding sector.
