The Chinese company has filed two projects covering nine 110-metre bulk carriers, with construction of the latest three vessels scheduled to begin in November.

Yichang Changyun Shipping is planning nine inland bulk carriers with a combined declared investment of RMB120 million, following a second project filing for three vessels in October.

The latest project, submitted on October 12, covers three 110-metre vessels with an investment budget of RMB42 million. Construction is scheduled to start in November 2026, according to published project-filing information. An earlier filing in July covered six vessels with a budget of RMB78 million.

Together, the filings outline a concentrated investment programme built around a common vessel length and breadth. The published information does not identify the shipbuilder, financing arrangements or delivery dates.

Three more vessels planned

The October batch comprises vessels provisionally named Siyang 1108, Siyang 1109 and Siyang 1110. Each would measure 110 metres in overall length, with a moulded breadth of 16.26 metres and a moulded depth of 5.3 metres.

The project record describes their principal dimensions as complying with the CG-H6 cargo-vessel specification for the Yangtze River system. Its filing certificate is listed as valid.

The earlier project, submitted on July 17, specified the same length and moulded breadth but two different hull depths.

Four vessels—Siyang 1101, Siyang 1103, Siyang 1105 and Siyang 1107—were listed with a moulded depth of 5.3 metres. The remaining two, Siyang 1102 and Siyang 1106, were specified at 7 metres. That project listed July 2026 as its planned construction start.

The combined programme therefore comprises seven vessels with the shallower hull configuration and two with greater moulded depth. Deadweight capacity, cargo-hold volume and propulsion specifications have not been disclosed.

Standard dimensions shape inland investment

For inland operators, vessel dimensions must be considered alongside the physical constraints of waterways, ports and locks. On the Yangtze, standardisation has long been part of efforts to improve lock utilisation and relieve navigation bottlenecks.

China’s Ministry of Transport began issuing and revising standard vessel-dimension requirements for major inland waterways in 2004. Mandatory national standards introduced in 2019 set requirements for overall length and breadth, while retaining flexibility in other aspects of vessel design.

Against that background, Changyun’s two filings show continuity in its choice of vessel dimensions. The October project extends the 5.3-metre moulded-depth configuration already specified for most of the July batch. Neither filing identifies the cargoes, customers or routes intended for the vessels.

The regulatory framework is also being updated. A revised national standard for the principal dimensions of vessels passing through locks in the Yangtze River system, GB 38030.1—2026, was published on August 27 and is due to replace the 2019 edition on December 1, 2026.

November start targeted

The next stated milestone is the planned November construction start for the three additional vessels. The published records do not establish whether work on the six vessels listed in July has begun.

The RMB120 million figure represents the combined investment budgets declared for the two projects. Shipbuilding contract values and expenditure to date have not been disclosed.

The filings establish the scale and broad configuration of Changyun’s proposed newbuilding programme. Construction schedules, delivery commitments and operating arrangements will determine when those plans translate into working capacity.