Fujian Highton Development Co., Ltd. said its wholly owned subsidiary, Haitong International Shipping Co., Ltd., has signed a shipbuilding contract with Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for four 62,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels.
The announcement was issued on 22 April. Total investment for the project will not exceed RMB 1.2 billion, excluding tax, or about $176 million. Funding will come from internal funds and financing from financial institutions.
According to Fujian Highton Development, the investment is intended to optimize fleet structure, expand transport capacity, and improve market competitiveness and profitability. The company also said the long construction cycle could bring risks including possible delivery delays.
This is the second agreement between the two sides this year. On 7 January 2026, Fujian Highton Development and Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding signed a contract for seven 60,800 DWT bow-riding multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, with each vessel priced at about RMB 300 million.
The 62,000 DWT vessel is described as the world’s largest in deadweight tonnage in this segment. It has a length of 199.9 m, a beam of 32.3 m, and a depth of 19.3 m, with a full-load draft of 13.5 m. The design includes four heavy-lift cranes on each side, with a maximum combined lifting capacity of 300 t, allowing the vessel to handle heavy equipment and cargoes of different sizes.
The vessel is designed to meet Phase 3 EEDI standards and Tier III NOx emission requirements. With its large deadweight tonnage and box-type structure, it is intended to offer strong cargo flexibility and support the transport of large volumes of engineering project materials.
