Shipbuilding Situation in 2025
The global shipbuilding industry is projected to maintain a stable volume and improve quality in 2025. According to the latest data from Clarkson Research, as of the end of November 2025, global new shipbuilding investment had reached $146.7 billion, with total contract value expected to exceed $150 billion for the year.
Although order volume is down 36% year-on-year from 2024, it is still 17% higher than the average level of the past decade. The second half of the year saw a 15% increase in contract signings compared to the first half, with the tanker and bulk carrier sectors showing particularly strong performance.
Driven by industry trends towards lightweight, energy conservation, and environmental protection, aluminum alloy ships, with their superior corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and low maintenance costs, are becoming a new growth point in the shipbuilding sector in 2025.
In terms of market share, while the overall share of aluminum alloy ships in the global shipbuilding market is still on the rise, it has already achieved economies of scale in specific segments:
In the yacht market, the share of aluminum alloy ships will increase to 35%, a significant increase from 22% in 2020; the application rate in the high-speed passenger ship sector will also rise from 18% to 30%, with large-scale applications in inland waterway shipping, maritime law enforcement, and fisheries operations further driving demand.
From the demand side of the industry chain, the rapid growth of the shipbuilding aluminum profile market confirms the development potential of aluminum alloy ships. In 2023, the Chinese shipbuilding aluminum profile market reached 1.5 million tons, and it is projected to exceed 2 million tons by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.5%.
This growth stems not only from material substitution in traditional ships but also from the rise of new energy ships—electric ships, hydrogen fuel cell ships, and other new ship types have a strong demand for lightweight materials, further driving the application and penetration of aluminum alloys in shipbuilding.
Core Materials
The aluminum alloy materials used in shipbuilding are mainly 5000 and 6000 series. These two types of alloys, with their differentiated performance advantages, cover all scenarios from hull structure to interior decoration, and Haomei Aluminum’s marine aluminum sheets and profiles have passed international classification society certifications such as ABS, BV, DNV, and CCS, meeting the stringent requirements of the marine environment.
In the ship plate sector, 5000 series aluminum-magnesium alloys are the absolute mainstay. Among them, 5083 aluminum sheets are widely used in core structures such as hulls, decks, and control panels due to their excellent rust resistance, good weldability, and post-weld strength retention. They are available in various tempers including O, H111, and H116. 5052 aluminum plates are known for their high formability and durability, and are mainly used in the superstructure of hulls.
In the field of profiles, 6000 series aluminum alloys are ideal for manufacturing complex-shaped hulls due to their lightweight, high strength, and ease of processing. 6061 aluminum alloy profiles combine excellent weldability and sliding properties, and are widely used in the decks and floors of yachts and catamarans. 6082 T6 aluminum profiles are known for their high load-bearing capacity and are mainly used in the load-bearing structures of hulls.
As an important part of the profile family, aluminum tubing fittings are increasingly widely used in marine fluid systems. Core products include aluminum elbows, tees, flanges, and pipe caps. The materials are mostly 5083 and 6061 series aluminum alloys with excellent corrosion resistance. Some of them can achieve salt spray resistance of more than 1,000 hours after anodizing treatment, which can effectively resist the corrosion of the high salt spray and high humidity environment of the ocean.
Original Source:https://www.marinealu.com/a/shipbuilding-situation-in-2025.html
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