China’s Hengli Heavy Industry has floated out four very large crude carriers (VLCCs) at the same time, an operation the shipbuilder has described as a first for the global shipbuilding industry.

The float-out took place on January 4 at the yard’s No. 1 dry dock, where four 306,000 dwt VLCCs were launched simultaneously.

The company said that preparing and launching four vessels of this size together is extremely rare due to the technical difficulty and the level of coordination required.

Hengli Heavy Industry was founded in 2022 on the site of the former STX Dalian Shipbuilding yard. It is part of Hengli Group, which is a subsidiary of Guangdong Songfa. In a short period, the shipbuilder has secured orders from several major international shipping companies.

The shipyard said the operation was made possible by the size of Dry Dock No. 1, which is 741 metres long and 135 metres wide.

The dock allows four 300,000 dwt-class VLCC or VLOC vessels to be built at the same time. According to the company, strict production schedules and closely coordinated processes were followed to keep all four ships progressing together during construction.

The float-out process began on January 3, when the dock’s flood valves were opened. The yard reported that by January 4, conditions were ready for the dock gate to be removed, allowing the vessels to float out.

The first ship to leave the dock was Front Resolute, a tanker registered in the Marshall Islands.

Hengli said the launch used an advanced cable trolley system instead of traditional manual cable adjustments. The yard reported that this approach improved safety and efficiency during the operation.

After floating out, the four VLCCs were moved to fitting-out basins for completion. No delivery dates have been announced.

Per reports, the yard more than doubled its backlog in 2025, securing about 115 vessel orders during the year, with a total value of more than $14 billion.

By the end of 2025, it had confirmed seven additional orders, including two VLCCs, four Capesize bulk carriers and one Suezmax tanker.

The shipyard is reported to have more than 200 vessels on order, with deliveries scheduled through to 2029. Its rapid growth has also supported China’s rising share of global shipbuilding orders, which reached nearly 54 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, increased to 67 per cent in the second quarter and stood at 65 per cent in the third quarter.