News

17 June, 08:45 a.m. – Huafeng Shipbuilding’s first-ever Employee Skills Challenge opened in a festival atmosphere under the banner “Craftsmanship, Break-through, Excellence.” Colour flags lined the avenue and giant banners hung overhead. Labour-union chairman He Yuejun chaired the opening; vice-GM Shu Kaifeng wished every competitor luck, urging them to let the spirit of craftsmanship shine through competition. Four trades were on the card: welder, fitter, electrician and forklift driver. More than 100 staff from both yards vied for the titles in the steel-assembly hall, temperature-controlled workshop and forklift arena. Sparks flew, machines hummed and trucks weaved as a vivid “skills battlefield” unfolded.   - Welders: a CO₂ flat- and vertical-weld qualifier, final a vertical-plus-horizontal weld showdown   - Fitters: precision measurement through complex assembly – “true skill measured in tenths”   - Electricians: motor-control wiring and Y-Δ starter build – “circuit artists” at work   - Forklifts: “wide load through narrow gate”, “pallet stacking artistry” – power and finesse combined   After fierce but friendly combat the laurels were awarded. At the closing ceremony union chairman He Yuejun handed out certificates and cash prizes of RMB 5,000, 3,000 and 1,000 to the champions, runners-up and third-place finishers in each trade.   This contest was more than a full-scale inspection of employees’ skills—it also created a first-class platform for technical exchange. “Learning through competition, training through competition” effectively fired up a “compare, learn, catch up and surpass” atmosphere, injecting strong momentum into the drive to build a high-calibre talent pool. “This is an arena for skills, but also a stage for growth.” The successful staging of the event marks a solid step forward for Huafeng Shipbuilding in championing craftsmanship and building a talent echelon. In the years ahead the company will keep deepening its culture of “love what you do, excel at what you do”, aligning staff development with corporate strategy to write a new chapter of high-quality development together!

In response to the shipbuilding and repair industry's increasingly stringent environmental standards and the need to reduce VOCs emissions, the company gave the matter top-level attention: a special meeting was convened, a consensus was reached, and the new PPG electrostatic spray technology was introduced to accelerate its roll-out at both company yards.   The technology was first trialed aboard the tanker *An Cheng*. That day more than a dozen work points were opened simultaneously, and over 12,000 m² of PPG’s new copper-free antifouling paint was applied. The results were excellent and won high praise from the vessel’s owners.   Electrostatic spraying is an innovative process for painting ship hulls. By corona discharge, the atomized paint is given a negative charge in a high-voltage DC field and is evenly attracted to the positively charged steel surface.   The electrostatic attraction pulls the coating into recesses, welds and edges, producing a uniform, dense film that is smooth and free of runs or orange-peel. Adhesion, appearance and service life are all improved while paint consumption falls.   Compared with conventional air spraying, the technique cuts overspray and material losses by roughly 25 % and reduces VOC emissions by about 20 %, meeting greener, cleaner and more energy-efficient targets.   To ensure success the company prepared well in advance: technical hurdles were solved in close consultation with the paint supplier, new electrostatic equipment was brought in, and every operator was rigorously trained and drilled. During the work, senior yard supervisors teamed up with PPG specialists to complete the job to the highest standard, laying solid foundations for the yard-wide roll-out of electrostatic spraying.

A 24,000-TEU ultra-large container vessel — the 400 m × 61.5 m M/V Petersburg, built and operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries — has just left the Baiquan yard of Zhoushan Huafeng Ship Repair & Building Co. after a 28-day casualty and routine repair. It is the largest box-ship project ever handled at the base, proving that Huafeng is now fully capable of servicing the world’s biggest container ships. The project required the renewal of roughly 200 t of steel damaged in a casualty. To protect the schedule, the yard produced a detailed repair plan on day one, built around the owner’s two priorities—safety and quality. Damaged sections were removed in carefully timed phases, the quayside’s heavy-lift capacity was fully exploited, and a single 60 t block was successfully installed afloat. Work was then merged with the scheduled docking, so the casualty repairs were completed ahead of target.   With the recent upgrade of the yard’s 300 000-dwt dock and supporting infrastructure, the wholesale introduction of green-grit blasting and other low-emission technologies, and the roll-out of a digital yard-management system, Huafeng’s competitive edge in high-value ship repair is now clear. The professionalism and dedication of the workforce gave the owner a “resort-style” repair experience, laying the ground for long-term cooperation. Several sister 24 000-TEU giants are already booked to follow.

As the seasons turn, we have sailed through the tempestuous year of 2024 and are now crossing into a brand-new 2025.   Over the past twelve months, while steadily advancing all fronts, we kept high-quality development as our North Star, dug deeper every day into green-shiprepair know-how, accelerated the roll-out of cutting-edge equipment, and scored landmark wins in building a digital-intelligent yard. BUSINESS & PRODUCTION   Thanks to an all-out team effort, we surpassed every annual target: more than 400 vessels docked and the highest output value in our history.   For the first time we completed the repair of a 174,000 m³ ice-class, electrically-propelled LNG carrier—the largest of its type ever repaired in Zhoushan. The owner and class society hailed the work, giving us a quantum leap in high-value segments such as dual-fuel, LNG/LPG and Ro-Ro ships. The project also yielded a full set of management standards and operating rules, laying a solid foundation for further penetration of the premium market.   SAFETY MANAGEMENT   We strengthened newcomer onboarding with richer content and VR immersion, opened a new one-stop training centre, tightened on-site control through themed spot-checks, and shifted from “punishment” to “guidance”. The principle “whoever manages production must manage safety” is now enforced via on-line, full-process approval for every hazardous operation.   QUALITY CONTROL   Quality metrics climbed steadily: first-time acceptance 99.77 %, first-time UT 99.63 %, first-time RT 100 %. This discipline underpins our leap into high-end repair and conversion.   GREEN EQUIPMENT   We kept buying into green hardware. In partnership with Shihe Robotics we introduced—across both yards—water-jet cleaning robots, dock-bottom rust-removal robots, elastic-blast robots and 2,800-bar ultra-high-pressure units. Together with tech partners we are already co-developing the next generation of zero-pollution repair tools.   DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION   Our “Digital-Intelligent Yard” programme, launched with Yingtexun, has taken its first full-chain step. HR and HSE modules are live and delivering clear gains; the remaining suites will be rolled out within two years.   LOW-CARBON & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION   We have initiated carbon-footprint and energy-management-system certification and will allocate major capital every year to phase out energy-hungry legacy equipment. As a benchmark enterprise, we are ahead of national, provincial and municipal mandates, upgrading every environmental facility in the yard.   EXPANSION PLANNING   By leveraging our shoreline advantage we have completed the expansion of existing quays and docks, adding effective capacity. A new joint-venture company has been formed to accelerate a greenfield offshore-equipment project, aiming to double overall strength within three years.   EPILOGUE   The high-quality development of the ship-repair sector is vital to the region. Government and enterprise share that mission. Huafeng will stay true to its original aspiration, break new ground, and contribute to Zhoushan’s marine new-quality productive forces—green, digital and high-end.

On the afternoon of 23 October, after 26 days of round-the-clock work, Huafeng Shipyard waved off the ice-breaking, electrically-driven LNG carrier *Marguerite*—the first vessel of its type the yard has ever repaired. Her departure marks Huafeng’s formal entry into the top-tier LNG segment. Measuring 299 m × 50 m, *Marguerite* is powered by three ABB full-revolving electric pods fed by six Wärtsilä 12-cylinder V-type tri-fuel gensets. Her four GTT No-96 membrane cargo tanks, with 0.7 mm Invar walls, give a total capacity of 174 000 m³. She is the world’s first ice-class LNG carrier with electric propulsion and the largest and most advanced vessel of her kind ever docked in Zhoushan.   The docking package covered ice-grade paint application, propulsion-system overhaul, insulation-safety-valve recertification and low-temperature cargo-system maintenance. Work scope included the main pods and generators, opening and inspecting all four cargo tanks, overhauling cargo and spray pumps, low-temperature valves and cargo compressors. The cargo pumps—precision machinery—were removed, serviced and re-installed under continuous protection.   To meet the quality demanded by LNG work, Huafeng upgraded workshop plant and built a new temperature-controlled workshop. An elite LNG project team planned every critical job in advance, organised specialised training, designed bespoke tooling and secured spares. Resources from both yards were pooled; the workforce pulled together and delivered the ship on schedule, earning high praise from owner and class.   The successful delivery has given Huafeng a full set of LNG-repair standards and operating procedures and a solid platform for chasing further large-LNG contracts. In recent years Huafeng has poured capital into green repair technology and digital-yard development, leap-frogging in both capacity and capability. Early engagement with carbon-emission regulations positions the yard to serve global owners even better in the years ahead.

On 6 February, Huafeng Shipbuilding’s 2023 Annual Gala—centred on the theme “Passing on Craftsmanship, Driving Innovation, Forging the Future”—opened in grand style. More than 1,000 employees and subcontractor representatives from both yards gathered for the company’s largest-ever year-end celebration.   Present were Chairman & General Manager Wu Zhixiang, Administrative Vice-President Le Hanjiang, Baiquan Yard Production Vice-President Shu Kaifeng, Daishan Yard Production Vice-President Zhou Bingke, Commercial Vice-President Chen Wenzhong, together with shareholders Le Yulong and Liu Feijie.   Assistant General Manager He Yuejun read out the commendation list. Across the two yards, 33 Outstanding Employees, 6 “Most Beautiful Huafeng People”, 2 Advanced Party Members, 8 Advanced Teams, 12 Excellent Subcontracting Squads and 6 Safety-Leading Squads were honoured. Leaders and shareholders presented the awards. Shen Cheng of Baiquan Production Department and Cao Danhua of Daishan Asset Department, both “Most Beautiful Huafeng People” laureates, spoke on behalf of the winners.   Chairman Wu also handed lucky-red-packets to 18 new university interns. “Talent is the bedrock of steady growth,” he said. “We must pass on experience through mentoring, cherish and retain good people, and give every graduate a bright future at Huafeng.”   Each vice-president delivered an annual report to the assembly, giving an objective, detailed review of the areas under his charge.   Chairman Wu Zhixiang then presented the company’s year-end summary. “Thanks to the trust of our owners and the hard work of every one of us,” he said, “2023 set a new production-value record of RMB 1.8 billion. We repaired 372 vessels at an average value exceeding RMB 5 million per ship, once again hitting our annual target. The repair mix was further optimised, moving toward serial and batch production. Our first methanol-dual-fuel main-engine conversion and the docking of a fully-refrigerated LPG carrier gave us the experience and foundation we need to enter the high-value-added segment. We keep shortening docking cycles and rewriting the ‘Huafeng-speed’ record, winning recognition through diligence, persistence, professionalism and efficiency.” He also pointed out shortcomings in cost control, the overall quality of personnel, market structure, and safety management. He stressed that in 2024 the company must make breakthroughs in:   - Raising capacity and upgrading product mix - Renewing equipment - Advancing digitalization - Building teams - Cutting costs   The banquet opened with Chairman Wu’s warm toast. The company had prepared more than 180 rich prizes—Huawei phones, laptops, home appliances, etc.—and every leader topped up the prize pool with hefty red-envelope cash, firing up the crowd during the grab-and-snatch session. On stage, song-and-dance, acrobatics, magic, comic skits and cross-dressing acts delivered a dazzling audio-visual feast for all.

At 14:00 on January 15, 2024, a 9-cabin bulk carrier "ARES VENTURE" (299M*50M) slowly left the wharf of Huafeng Ship Daishan Base under the tug of a tugboat. The ship arrived at Huafeng Ship Daishan Base on the afternoon of January 3, 2024, and the repair mainly involved comprehensive repair projects such as routine special inspection, prefabrication and installation of desulfurization system, and propeller silicone. Under the concerted efforts of the shipowners, Huafeng team and many friends of the manufacturers and the efforts of the construction personnel all night, the whole team has a clear goal, efficiency is the first, firmly grasp the safety and quality, and achieve a 12-day repair cycle, of which the main desulfurization system only takes 9 days to complete, once again refreshing the Huafeng speed.

On January 12, Huafeng held the 2023 Annual Supplier Conference. The theme of this conference is "Moving Forward Together for a Win-win Future". A total of more than 50 suppliers gathered together to discuss development. At 14pm, representatives of suppliers from all over the country arrived at the company one after another, wearing red bibs to sign their names and take pictures on the background wall. Company chairman Wu Zhixiang, deputy general manager Zhou Bingke, Shu Kaifeng, general manager assistant Zhou Wupei attended the conference. The meeting was presided over by Zhou Wupei. General Manager Zhou helped to make the opening and annual procurement summary report, Deputy General Manager Shu and Deputy General Manager Zhou gave brief speeches respectively. Subsequently, representatives of the suppliers took turns to speak and talk freely. Chairman Wu listened carefully to everyone's speech, and interactive communication from time to time, the atmosphere of the scene was warm and harmonious. In the summary, Chairman Wu first thanked everyone for their love and support, along with the growth of the company. He pointed out: the upstream of the supplier is the company, and the upstream of the company is the shipowner, everyone's common goal and direction is to serve the shipowner well, so the quality of the supply chain is the basis for everyone to win. At the same time, Wu Dong prospectively analyzed the main direction of the ship repair market in the next few years, hoping that everyone can also move with the wind in the industrial structure and service awareness, and continue to move forward. After the meeting, Wu Dong and the supplier representatives visited some factories and workshops, many suppliers said: Huafeng's development in recent years has amazed them, but also greatly enhanced the confidence of cooperation. Subsequently, the company prepared a grand and rich appreciation dinner for the distinguished guests. Two deputy general managers respectively commended 5 "excellent suppliers" and awarded plaques; Chairman Wu personally awarded a "strategic partner" and presented a calligraphy and painting symbolizing the meaning of peace. The dinner began with Wu Dong's enthusiastic speech. At the same time, the dinner was interspersed with wonderful performances and lucky draws. Finally, the supplier conference ended successfully in an enthusiastic atmosphere.

On the afternoon of December 22, MSC Shipping, a container ship "MSC RIKKU" (340M*46M), slowly left the No. 3 dock of Zhoushan Huafeng Baiquan Base. Since the ship entered the factory on November 6, the company has completed dual-fuel main engine transformation, mixed desulfurization modification, propeller replacement, conventional docking repair and other projects through scientific deployment and intensive construction. Thus, the predetermined period is greatly shortened. As the first dual-fuel main engine conversion project of our company, the company attaches great importance to the repair of the ship, and sends capable forces to form a single-ship team, intervene in planning in advance, and fine-organize the implementation of various tasks. Under the careful guidance of engineers from Wartsila, the manufacturer of the main engine, the electromechanical area completed the assembly of the new main engine with high quality. After the main engine is replaced, the diameter of the cylinder liner is changed from 960MM to 720MM, and dual fuel can be used, which will effectively save energy consumption. At the same time, the sulfur dioxide emission can be effectively reduced and the ecological environment can be protected by refitting the desulfurization tower. Since 2023, through the conversion of methanol dual-fuel main engine, the operation of ships using traditional fuels can adapt to new green energy, providing innovative ideas for the energy saving and green transformation of the shipping industry. At present, the global operation of ship host methanol dual fuel conversion cases are few, and the company is in the forefront of this repair project.

On the afternoon of December 24, after nearly 15 days of intense construction, a fully cooled LPG ship "DOUBLE IN" slowly left Zhoushan Huafeng No. 2 Wharf. The ship was repaired with a number of low-temperature liquid tube replacement, FH36 low-temperature plate replacement of about 5 tons, repair of various safety valves and liquid cargo valves, and completion of comprehensive overhaul projects such as ballast system new installation and ship special inspection. The ship is 224M long and 36M wide, with a total load of 43,000 tons and a total capacity of 83,000 cubic meters. It is a typical ship for the company to undertake high value-added ship repair. The ship entered the factory on December 9 and was docking on December 14. During the repair period, the "6S" standardized repair was strictly implemented, and the anti-static, explosion-proof and clean safety management were strictly controlled. The excellent safety control and professional repair were highly appreciated by the shippers, which fully proved that Huafeng Ship fully possessed the ability to repair fully cooled LPG and LNG ships. During the repair period, there were many days of strong wind and cold weather, the company attached great importance to it, worked together, carried out scientific construction, and completed the repair task safely and efficiently.

On September 2, Zhoushan Huafeng Ship Repair Co., Ltd. debuted at the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services with the maritime service section of Zhejiang Exhibition area, attracting a lot of attention. In the early stage, through the recommendation of Zhoushan City Bureau of Commerce, Zhejiang Province Service Trade Association actively planned, Zhoushan Huafeng with bright performance in recent years in the Zhejiang exhibition area stood out. The exhibition focused on the ability and performance of special ship maintenance such as desulfurization tower modification, bulb bow modification, wind power installation ship, which is a concentrated appearance of the company to participate in global competition, and will also win more business opportunities for future business development. Hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the 2023 Service Trade Fair was held at the National Convention Center, National Stadium and Shougang Park from September 2 to 6, with the theme of "Opening up Leads development, cooperation and Win-win Future", and has now become the largest comprehensive exhibition in the field of global service trade. The exhibition scale of about 155,000 square meters, a total of 75 countries and international organizations in the name of the national government or headquarters under the exhibition, more than 2,200 enterprises offline exhibitors, new products, new processes, new technologies, new achievements, etc. Among them, there are more than 500 world top 500 and industry leading enterprises, and the overall internationalization rate exceeds 20%.

"TIGER LONGKOU" is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank deck container dual fuel carrier (700 tank class, length 192.00 m, type width 37.60 m, type depth 13.50 m, design draft 8.2 m, deadweight 25,000 tons), currently the largest in the world. Jointly developed by Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group And Tiger Gas and built by Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding Co., LTD., the new ship was officially delivered in early January this year. The ship can accommodate nearly 700 45-foot tank containers (about 15,000 tons of LNG), meeting the relevant requirements of at least 20 international organizations, countries or regions, realizing "one tank to the bottom" and "door to door" transportation, meeting the energy needs of various regions, in line with the distributed energy supply advocated by China. As an environmentally friendly, efficient and energy efficient vessel, the ship is equipped with Type C LNG fuel tanks and dual fuel engines. It has a design speed of 16 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles in LNG-powered mode, meeting IMO Tier III emissions standards. "Longkou Tiger" entered the factory for repair and transformation on January 9, 2022. The main transformation works are as follows: box Angle (dovetail groove) and D-ring (ground order) were added to the outer deck, and the reverse side was strengthened; MGO(empty status) fuel tank expansion, etc. From a long-term point of view of the market, dual fuel ship form will become the latest must-haves in the shipping market, ship repair with natural gas will also be normalized trend, for the ship during the repair of the special requirements of safety, our company and the ship set up project safety coordination committee (VSCC), strict organization planning, to discuss the best safety construction plan, And the daily safety production requirements throughout the whole process of construction. When the ship entered the factory, there was 300 cubic meters of natural gas main engine fuel left in the fuel tank. The company conducted inert sealing treatment for the connected pipeline system around the LNG tank in the cabin as required, and maintained round-the-clock continuous monitoring in the cabin to ensure that the oxygen test and explosion test were qualified. All construction personnel have undergone professional safety training before boarding, wear antistatic clothing as required, and follow strict construction procedures. In addition, the safety protection of the liquid cargo hold is strengthened. All the scaffolding in the hold is set up and inspected according to the standard of specially coated scaffolding. The ship has completed 900 dovetail grooves and more than 1,000 ground reloading in the plant. At the same time, the fuel tank was expanded by about 500 cubic meters. Dual fuel ship with gas repair, the ship enterprise team (especially safety) requirements are very high, currently there are few implementation cases in the world, this is our company's first attempt, has very important significance. Through the ship repair, the company has also accumulated rich experience, which has laid a solid foundation for the subsequent repair of this type of ship.

MSC "TIANPING", 334 meters long and 41 meters wide, is an 8,200 TEU container ship of MSC, the world's second largest container liner company. It was built in 2006. The wheel on November 12, alongside my chief priests coating base, the main project is hybrid desulfurizing modification projects, the original chimney exhaust system according to the latest environmental emissions standard new flue gas washing desulfurization tower and tower room structure, the hybrid desulphurization pump and pipeline system, magnesium hydroxide alkaline storage and charging system, and the desulfurization wastewater treatment system monitoring, testing equipment and system and electrical system, Other special inspection projects include modification of Avalava ballast water system, modification of shore power system, upgrade of bridge equipment, repair of hatch cover, etc. Given good container market situation, in order to guarantee the economic interests of the owners, our company attaches great importance to, concentrated technology backbone, meticulously, clear division of labor, to carry out the responsibility, finally the ship on December 16 sea trials, one-time success, with 33 days alone efficient high-quality completed the projects of the ship, the height of the owner's approval, It is also the ship with the shortest time of hybrid modification since the desulfurization tower modification project in the world. The hybrid ship desulphurization reconstruction system is complex, and there are many types of work, and the total amount of desulphurization is larger than that of the open ship. In the case of the same ship type, the renovation cycle generally exceeds 50 days in China at present. After obtaining the original design drawings, the company's repair team repeatedly demonstrated and improved, and finally finalized the overall lifting scheme of the tower body. In view of the unbalanced state of the tower block, the center point of the combined tower block is found accurately through temporary strengthening and simulation, and the tower block is lifted onto the ship at one time with the advantage of long coating base lifting, and the hook is unhooked within 18 hours. In the refit construction process, the total amount of prefabricated, cut and installed steel plate reached 323 tons. Through reasonable optimization and adjustment of pipe direction, the design optimization amount of hybrid desulfurization tower reached 20%, and a total of more than 700 pipes were installed. Part of the old chimney will be cut out within 7 days, install new chimney; In addition, it only took 14 days to complete the transformation of five compartments, including pipes and special coating, in 30 days. In the routine repair project, the main route optimization of the Avalava ballast water system purchased by the ship owner reached 50%, and the installation of more than 120 pipes was completed. More than 1,300 pieces of hatch cover feet were replaced, of 23 types; 2250 new pad blocks; Sand and spray the ground under all hatches, bind the bridge waterknife paint; The ship's 18300 square square outer plate straight flat bottom 100% secondary white, and silicone special coating processing; In addition the propeller and rudder blade also made silicone special coating. To this end, the company invested a large number of elite personnel and worked overtime. During the peak period, nearly 220 people went all out in the modification and repair of the ship. The ship berthed on November 12, entered the dock tower on the evening of November 18 and left the dock in the afternoon of November 19. On November 30, relevant projects were completed and docked on December 8. On December 16, trial voyage data collection was completed and signed by representatives of all parties. The trial voyage was a complete success and launched online the next day. It has perfectly realized the almost impossible task, broken the difficulty that the hybrid desulfurization tower could not be completed in two months, and saved a lot of time for the ship owner. It fully reflects that huafeng team is skilled in organization, dares to challenge, and is a professional team that can be achieved and make great achievements. At the same time, it also accumulated rich experience in the subsequent ship modification and repair, and provided more excellent service for ship owners.

In the afternoon of April 19th, the ro-ro shipment "Changxinglong" was finished in Huafeng company and left the factory. The hull is 140M long, 24M wide, 19,370 gross tons, with 9 loading decks and a maximum height of 35M. It is a 1600PCTC roll-on/roll-off ship. The ship arrived at the factory on April 3 and docked on April 9. In the repair of the stern jump (stern bridge), the company and the ship did a good job in the preliminary planning, and the ship hull and mechanical and electrical departments closely cooperated in the later stage to ensure that the whole stern jump system was installed and debuted in place once, and docked on schedule, which was recognized by the ship. Previously, the company has completed the repair of the same type of ship "long hair long". Later will also have a larger ship type of roll-on/roll-off into the repair plan. Up to now, the company has completed the repair of more than 90 ships of various types and received orders for more than 170 ships, including more than 10 desulfurization tower modification projects.

A shipyard (also called a dockyard) is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial construction. The terms are routinely used interchangeably, in part because the evolution of dockyards and shipyards has often caused them to change or merge roles. Countries with large shipbuilding industries include Australia, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the USA and Vietnam. The shipbuilding industry is more fragmented in Europe than in Asia where countries tend to have fewer, larger companies. Many naval vessels are built or maintained in shipyards owned or operated by the national government or navy. Shipyards are constructed near the sea or tidal rivers to allow easy access for their ships. The United Kingdom, for example, has shipyards on many of its rivers. The site of a large shipyard will contain many specialised cranes, dry docks, slipways, dust-free warehouses, painting facilities and extremely large areas for fabrication of the ships. After a ship's useful life is over, it makes its final voyage to a shipbreaking yard, often on a beach in South Asia. Historically shipbreaking was carried on in drydock in developed countries, but high wages and environmental regulations have resulted in movement of the industry to developing regions.