Chipolbrok Names New Vessel M/V Kopernik, Marking Eight 62,000-DWT Heavy-Lift Vessels in Series
In June 2016, President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled "Making the Ship of China-Poland Friendship Sail at Full Speed" in Poland's Rzeczpospolita. In the article, he wrote: "Nicolaus Copernicus explored the boundlessness of the universe, founded the heliocentric theory, and changed mankind's view of the universe." He also noted: "The Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company(Chipolbrok), founded in 1951, is New China's first Sino-foreign joint venture and has maintained sound operationsto date."
On April 28, 2026, amid the 10th anniversary of the publication of President Xi Jinping’s signed article and the 75th anniversary of the founding of Chipolbrok, the company officially named its eighth 62,000-DWT multipurpose heavy-lift vessel after Nicolaus Copernicus, the distinguished Polish astronomer. This marks a new height in the friendship and cooperation between the Chinese and Polish sides and heralds a new voyage for the company’s high-quality development.
On the morning of April 28, at Taizhou Kouan Shipyard, sirens blared and colored smoke rose into the air as the naming ceremony for M/V Kopernik was officially held.With the delivery of this new vessel, starting from the lead ship M/V Taixing in 2021, Chipolbrok has built eight 62,000-DWT multipurpose heavy-lift vessels in this series over the past five years. The construction of the entire series has now been successfully completed, rounding off the shipbuilding task in full and presenting a splendid tribute to the company’s upcoming 75th anniversary.
Adam Bralczyk, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Shanghai, attended the ceremony. Leaders from Chipolbrok, COSCO SHIPPING Development, Taizhou Kouan Shipyard and other project stakeholders delivered speeches. Katarzyna Bralczyk, wife of the Consul General, served as the godmother for the new vessel. With her blessings, M/V Kopernikprepared to sound its siren and begin its maiden journey. Mrs. Bralczyk remarked, "I studied at a secondary school named after Copernicus and graduated from Jagiellonian University, from which Copernicus also graduated."
At this critical stage of implementing the mission assigned to the company under the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Poland (2024-2027), the delivery of M/V Kopernikwill enableChipolbrok to better provide shipping services for the development of China-Poland trade, injecting strong impetus intothe ship of friendship to sail at full speed.
It is reported that on its maiden voyage, M/V Kopernikwill call atTaicanginJiangsu Province to load Chinese exportedequipment includingwind power components and transformers. It will then sail on Chipolbrok's Red Sea route, contributing to the joint development of the Belt and RoadInitiative.
In recent years, Chipolbrok has continuously promoted the green and low-carbon development of its fleet. It has implemented measures in phases regarding power system upgrades, improvements to key equipment, and hull antifouling and drag reduction, achieving periodic results. Following the formal implementation of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in 2024, the company has consecutively been awarded Grade A in the EU ETS compliance assessments for 2024 and 2025. With the FuelEU Maritime regulation taking effect in 2025, the two sides worked together to achieve a compliance pool surplus of over 500 tons of CO2 equivalent for the fleet in 2025.
In 2026, as Chipolbrok reaches the milestone of its 75th anniversary, the company will be guided by its new Five-Year Strategic Development Plan. It will further accelerate the establishment of a new development architecture characterized by "One Body, Two Wings, and Multiple Driving Forces."
