CSBC Corporation, Taiwan (Chinese: 台灣國際造船; pinyin: Táiwān Guójì Zàochuán, literally "Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation") is a company that produces ships for civilian and military use in Taiwan. It is headquartered in Kaohsiung, with shipyards in Kaohsiung and Keelung. For decades it was a state-owned enterprise which also produced commercial vessels for foreign customers, but it was privatized in 2008, involving an IPO.
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Operations
In 2021 government and naval vessels accounted for 60% of CSBC’s operations.
Modification and repair
As of 2019 ship repair accounted for 3–5% of CSBC revenues, with the company working to increase that share because of favorable margins in the space.
In 2019 CSBC Corp. completed a green retrofit of a 13,000 TEU container ship owned by Orient Overseas Container Line. Modifications included a flue gas desulfurization system to bring the ship into compliance with United Nations IMO 2020 emissions goals.
History
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan, formerly known as China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC, Chinese: 中國造船; pinyin: Zhōngguó Zàochuán), is the result of the merger of Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation and China Shipbuilding Corporation.
Shipbuilding in Taiwan began in 1937 during the Japanese colonial period when Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation founded the Taiwan Dockyard Corporation. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the Republic of China authorities established Taiwan Machinery and Shipbuilding Company by merging the existing Taiwan Dockyard Corporation with Taiwan Steel Works and Tōkō Kōgyō Corporation. Two years later, in 1948, the company split into two state-owned companies called Taiwan Machinery Corporation and Taiwan Shipbuilding Corporation (TSBC).
China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) was founded in 1973 and reverted to a government-owned company in 1977. CSBC and TSBC merged in 1978 and was known as China Shipbuilding Corporation until 2007.
On 9 February 2007, the board approved the name change to CSBC Corporation, Taiwan. Critics argued that the name change was another case of Chen Shui-bian's de-Sinicization act, while proponents argued that the name change would help to avoid potential confusion with the People's Republic of China. In 2008 CSBC’s production value reached 1.131b USD, 54% of Taiwan’s total shipbuilding industry output for that year.
According to its website, the company has built container ships, one-of-a-kind commercial ships and semi-submersible heavy-lift transport ships, including the MV Blue Marlin. Furthermore, it has built ships, submarines and advanced naval weapons for the Republic of China Navy, patrol vessels for the Coast Guard Administration, and research vessels for the Taiwan Ocean Research Institute. CSBC is participating in the development of the first domestic Taiwanese AUV.
In 2018 CSBC entered into an alliance with Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, Taiwan Navigation Co Ltd, and Taiwan International Ports Corporation to provide marine services to Taiwan's burgeoning offshore wind power sector. CSBC has a joint venture with DEME Wind Engineering to offer wind farm construction in East Asia. In 2019 they were hired by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to transport and install wind turbines at two new wind farm off Taiwan. The two wind farms have a combined capacity of 600MW and are expected to be completed by 2023.
Ships built
Government
ROCS Pan Shi
Cheng Kung-class frigate
ROCS Cheng Kung
ROCS Cheng Ho
ROCS Chi Kuang
ROCS Yueh Fei
ROCS Tzu I
ROCS Pan Chao
ROCS Chang Chien
ROCS Tian Dan
Ching Chiang-class patrol ship
Kuang Hua VI-class missile boat
Dvora-class fast patrol boat
Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessel
Yushan-class landing platform dock
Hai Kun-class submarine
Da Wu-class rescue and salvage ship
Commercial
Marlin Class Heavy Lift Ship
MV Blue Marlin
MV Black Marlin
MV Tygra
Fort Saint Louis class containers ships
CMA CGM Fort Saint Louis
CMA CGM Fort Saint Pierre
CMA CGM Fort Sainte Marie
CMA CGM Fort Saint Georges
Green Jade
Popular culture
CSBC and one of its ships is featured in episode two of the National Geographic Channel’s Superstructures: Engineering Marvels.