Singapore-based large bulkers specialist Winning International Group has entered into a 10-year shipbuilding and repair agreement with CSSC Beihai Shipbuilding, extending its effort to develop a dedicated fleet of giant bauxite carriers.

The memorandum, signed in Qingdao, covers future newbuilding construction, routine fleet maintenance and repair, vessel upgrades, and lifecycle technical support. No new ship orders were announced alongside the agreement. Multi-year accords of this kind give owners a framework for securing yard capacity and drydocking slots over an extended period, while giving the shipbuilder a predictable base of work.

The pact deepens what is already a substantial relationship built around Winning's 325,000 dwt winningmax ore carrier programme. Beihai delivered the first of the new-generation VLOCs in June, with a second following in August. The vessels were developed around Winning's long-haul bauxite trades between West Africa and China.

As Splash reported in December, Winning returned to Beihai for another six 325,000 dwt ships, bringing its committed programme at the CSSC yard to eight units. The first two were ordered in 2023.

The methanol-ready design measures close to 330 m in length and incorporates approximately 12,000 cu m of alternative-fuel capacity. Winning also has another series of large ore carriers booked at Hengli Shipbuilding.

The group operates a fleet of more than 100 bulkers, of which over 50 are owned, and has become one of the most significant shipping players on the Guinea-China bauxite route. Splash noted last year that Winning moves more than 50m tonnes of bauxite annually from Guinea to China. Guinea is the world's largest bauxite exporter, and its ore has become a critical feedstock for China's aluminium industry, underpinning the demand for specialized tonnage on the route.