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The shipyard, located in the Yangtze River Delta, was founded in 2006, and became the largest private shipbuilder in China, churning out giant valemaxes at its four large dry-docks, before a massive financial collapse forced it to cease operations in 2014.

Broking sources in China tell Splash that the yard’s former chief operating officer David Luan is now preparing to officially reopen the yard, to be known as SPS Shipyard, a reference to ShipParts.com, a business he created in 2015 after quitting Rongsheng.

SPS Shipyard will start to market cape and kamsarmax slots from next week with next available slots being from Q3 2025 onwards. Luan has yet to reply to questions sent by Splash earlier today.

Since Beijing appears intent on telling investors it is serious about changing the investment-led growth model of the world’s second-biggest economy and controlling a credit splurge, it may seem like the writing is on the wall for China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group.

Yet analysts say the government is more likely than not to judge that Rongsheng, which employs around 20,000 workers and has received state patronage, is too big and well connected to fail.

Supporting Rongsheng will not mean China’s economic reform plans are derailed, they say. Instead, it will mean reforms will be gradual and the government will cherry-pick firms it wants to support, which will exclude the small, private shipbuilders that have been folding in waves.

“Rongsheng is a flagship in the industry,” said Lawrence Li, an analyst with UOB Kay Hian in Shanghai. “The government will definitely provide assistance if companies like this are in trouble.”

Analysts say Rongsheng is possibly the largest casualty of a sector that has grown over the past decade into the world’s biggest shipbuilding industry by construction capacity. Amid a global shipping downturn, new orders for Chinese builders fell by half last year. In Rongsheng’s case, it won orders worth $55.6 million last year, compared with a target of $1.8 billion.

Rongsheng appealed for government aid on Friday, saying it was cutting its workforce and delaying payments to suppliers to deal with tightened cash flow.

In the prospectus for its initial public offer, Rongsheng said it received 520 million yuan of subsidies from the Rugao city government in the southern province of Jiangsu, where the company is based.

The state funds paid for research and development of new types of vessels, and were based in part on the “essential role we play in the local economy”, Rongsheng said.

As the world’s largest shipbuilder, it had 1,647 shipyards in 2012, data from China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry showed. Over 60 percent of its shipbuilders are based in Rongsheng’s province of Jiangsu.

Despite this, the government is providing support for the industry, a sign it will also support Rongsheng given its prominence in the sector, analysts said.

Analysts say what separates Rongsheng from many other companies are its connections with the government and state banks. Rongsheng’s Chief Executive Chen Qiang, for example, enjoys “special government allowances” granted by China’s cabinet, the firm’s annual reports say.

Rongsheng also said in its IPO prospectus that it has two five-year financing deals with Export-Import Bank of China that end in 2014 and in 2015, and a 10-year agreement with Bank of China starting from 2009.

After all, local government coffers will suffer the biggest blow if Rongsheng goes bust. The firm had 168 million yuan of deferred income taxes in 2012.

“Do people expect one of the largest shipyards in the world is going to stop building ships completely with state-of-the-art, brand new facilities?” said Martin Rowe, managing director of global shipping services provider Clarkson Asia Ltd. “I think it’s highly unlikely.” (Reporting by Yimou Lee in HONG KONG and Koh Gui Qing in BEIJING; Editing by Neil Fullick)

Nov. 25, 2011 - China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Holdings Limited, a large heavy industries group in China, announced that it has delivered its first 380,000 DWT Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) to Vale S.A. ("Vale"). The 380,000 DWT VLOC is a high-tech vessel self-developed by the Group. It is not only the world"s largest dry bulk carrier with the largest cargo capacity, but also incorporates the Group"s most advanced shipbuilding technology in very large bulk carrier. Successful delivery of the new vessel marked an innovative breakthrough for the shipbuilding industry in China.

Mr. Zhang Zhi Rong, Chairman of the Board and Non-executive Director of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries, said, "The successful delivery of the VLOC not only has extraordinary significance for the development of the shipbuilding industry in China, it also marks an important breakthrough of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries in moving towards its goal of developing into one of the world"s top diversified heavy industries group. The Group wishes to pave the way forward for private enterprises within China"s heavy industry to wield greater influence in the global market."

Mr. Chen Qiang, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of China Rongsheng Heavy Industries, said, "‘VALE CHINA" represents the most advanced bulk carrier in the world. The technologies needed for building the vessel are far more challenging than those for building the typical 200,000 DWT VLOCs. Far more advanced technologies are required to meet more demanding specifications on its structure, pressure endurance and fluid dynamic design. The delivery of the new vessel demonstrates the Group"s leadership in the global VLOC shipbuilding market. The sea trial voyage of ‘VALE CHINA" has been successful, with an outstanding performance in cargo loading capability and speed. While the second and third 380,000 DWT VLOCs have also been launched, the Group expects smoother delivery of other VLOCs. We are well prepared for the coming peak of delivery period."

Mr. Marcus Moura, General Manager of Shipbuilding and Conversions of Vale China, said, "‘VALE CHINA" is professionally designed and built by China Rongsheng Heavy Industries, and is tailored to address VALE"s trade pattern and terminals requirements in Brazil. This fantastic vessel certainly will enhance our competitiveness in the iron ore market, also help our company to cope with our ambitious iron ore export plan to Asia. We would like to thank China Rongsheng Heavy Industries for its hard and dedicated work and for keeping the commitment to deliver this vessel to our fleet within the required quality standards."

The main engine of "VALE CHINA", the 7RT-flex 82T, is self-built by China Rongsheng Heavy Industries and produced by Hefei Rongan Power Machinery Co. Ltd., the Group"s marine engine building division. The engine has not only gained a high degree of recognition from shipowners, but is also the first WÄRTSILÄ low-speed diesel engine with maximum power manufactured by a Chinese enterprise independently. The new engine boasts the advantages of huge power output, low oil consumption, compact structure, and reduced emission of SOx and NOx. All these features demonstrate the Group"s all-round shipbuilding ability while addressing the operational and environmental protection concerns of shipowners.

In August 2008, the Group signed shipbuilding contracts for twelve 380,000 DWT VLOCs with Vale, having a total contract value as high as US$1.6 billion. The work under the contracts attracted wide attention at the time as it set three world records in the contract value of a single shipbuilding order, carrying deadweight tonnage of single bulk carriers and total deadweight tonnage of orders. "VALE CHINA" delivered today is the first vessel for the VLOC series. In 2009, Vale also announced that it would rent four VLOCs of the same type from Oman Shipping Company which were also to be built by China Rongsheng Heavy Industries.

Our headquarters is located in Hong Kong, with manufacturing bases in Nantong (Jiangsu Province) and Hefei (Anhui Province). Rongsheng Offshore & Marine was established in Singapore to promote our offshore engineering business.

Our business segments include shipbuilding, offshore engineering, marine engine building and engineering machinery. According to Clarkson Research, China Rongsheng was the largest non-state-owned shipbuilder in the PRC in terms of orders on hand measured by DWT as at the end of December 2013.

RUGAO, China/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Deserted flats and boarded-up shops in the Yangtze river town of Changqingcun serve as a blunt reminder of the area"s reliance on China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group, the country"s biggest private shipbuilder.A view of the Rongsheng Heavy Industries shipyard is seen in Nantong, Jiangsu province December 4, 2013. REUTERS/Aly Song

The shipbuilder this week predicted a substantial annual loss, just months after appealing to the government for financial help as it reeled from industry overcapacity and shrinking orders. Rongsheng lost an annual record 572.6 million yuan ($92 million) last year, and lost 1.3 billion yuan in the first half of this year.

While Beijing seems intent to promote a shift away from an investment-heavy model, with companies reliant on government cash injections, some analysts say Rongsheng is too big for China to let fail.

Local media reported in July that Rongsheng had laid off as many as 8,000 workers as demand slowed. Three years ago, the company had about 20,000 staff and contract employees. This week, the shipbuilder said an unspecified number of workers had been made redundant this year.

A purpose-built town near the shipyard’s main gate, with thousands of flats, supermarkets and restaurants, is largely deserted. Nine of every 10 shops are boarded up; the police station and hospital are locked.

“In this area we’re only really selling to workers from the shipyard. If they’re not here who do we sell to?” said one of the few remaining shopkeepers, surnamed Sui, playing a videogame at his work-wear store. “I know people with salaries held back and they can’t pay for things. I can’t continue if things stay the same.”

In the shadow of the shipyard gate, workers told Reuters the facility was still operating but morale was low, activity was slowing with the lack of new orders and some payments to workers had been delayed.

“Without new orders it’s hard to see how operations can continue,” said one worker wearing oil-spattered overalls and a Rongsheng hardhat, adding he was still waiting to be paid for September. He didn’t want to give his name as he feared he could lose his job.

“Morale in the office is quite low, since we don’t know what is the plan,” said a Rongsheng executive, who declined to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media. “We have been getting orders but can’t seem to get construction loans from banks to build these projects.”

While Rongsheng has won just two orders this year, state-backed rival Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuildinghas secured 50, according to shipbroker data. Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuildinghas won more than $1 billion in new orders and is moving into offshore jack-up rig construction, noted Jon Windham, head industrials analyst at Barclays in Hong Kong.

Frontline, a shipping company controlled by Norwegian business tycoon John Fredriksen, ordered two oil tankers from Rongsheng in 2010 for delivery earlier this year. It now expects to receive both of them in 2014, Frontline CEO Jens Martin Jensen told Reuters.

Greek shipowner DryShips Inchas also questioned whether other large tankers on order will be delivered. DryShips said Rongsheng is building 43 percent of the Suezmax vessels - tankers up to 200,000 deadweight tons - in the current global order book. That"s equivalent to 23 ships, according to Rongsheng data.

Speaking at a quarterly results briefing last month, DryShips Chief Financial Officer Ziad Nakhleh said Rongsheng was “a yard that, as we stated before, is facing difficulties and, as such, we believe there is a high probability they will not be delivered.” DryShips has four dry cargo vessels on order at the Chinese firm.

Rongsheng declined to comment on the Dryships order, citing client confidentiality. “For other orders on hand, our delivery plan is still ongoing,” a spokesman said.

At least two law firms in Shanghai and Singapore are acting for shipowners seeking compensation from Rongsheng for late or cancelled orders. “I’m now dealing with several cases against Rongsheng,” said Lawrence Chen, senior partner at law firm Wintell & Co in Shanghai.

Billionaire Zhang Zhirong, who founded Rongsheng in 2005 and is the shipyard"s biggest shareholder, last month announced plans to privatize Hong Kong-listed Glorious Property Holdingsin a HK$4.57 billion ($589.45 million) deal - a move analysts said could raise money to plug Rongsheng"s debts.

Meanwhile, Rongsheng’s shipyard woes have already pushed many people away from nearby centers, and others said they would have to go if things don’t pick up. Some said they hoped the local government might step in with financial support.

The Rugao government did not respond to requests for comment on whether it would lend financial or other support to Rongsheng. Annual reports show Rongsheng has received state subsidies in the past three years.

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