Shandong Port Group (SPG) held the naming and delivery ceremony for four self-built ships - a 700-TEU container ship and three tugboats - in Rizhao on Dec 5.

The event marked a new milestone in SPG's attempts to build high-end offshore engineering equipment industry and drive the high-quality socio-economic growth of Rizhao.

Over the years, SPG has shouldered its responsibility to serve and grow together with the province it is based in, creating a multitude of opportunities for advancing regional economic development. Additionally, it has leveraged the function of ports in bolstering Shandong's socio-enonomic growth. In particular, SPG has continuously deepened strategic ties with Rizhao and increased investment in the city, paying a total of 4.87 billion yuan ($682.74 million) in taxes.

High-end marine equipment is a powerful driving force for regional economic development. By using Shandong Port Equipment Manufacturing Group as a platform, SPG has leveraged port equipment and marine equipment to promote high-end marine equipment manufacturing. It has fully tapped into the advantages of Rizhao Kingda Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co Ltd under Shandong Port Equipment Manufacturing Group, which is a national high-tech company and Shandong Enterprise Technical Center. In addition, efforts have been made to build high-end, intelligent and green marine equipment industrial parks in northern China. This has resulted in the formation of a whole-chain marine equipment business system.

The four new ships were independently built by Rizhao Kingda. The 700-TEU container ship is the first automatic container vessel specifically designed for Shandong Port Shipping Group. Upon delivery, the ship will join SPG Feeder Express and be put into service on the Rizhao-Qingdao daily feeder service. The 8,000-horsepower tugboat for Qingdao Port is the largest multi-purpose tugboat specifically designed for the port, and the two 4,000-horsepower tugboats for Yantai Port will significantly improve the port's service capacity.

SPG is expected to further expand the role of its port as a pivotal hub and platform and advance port-industry-city integration so as to help turn China into a manufacturing powerhouse and Shandong into a strong maritime province.

SPG vessels halt along the coastlines. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]