 The first "Valemax" vessels were ordered on 3 August 2008 when Vale signed a contract with the Chinese shipbuilder Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries (RSHI) for the construction of twelve 400,000-ton ore carriers.The development had reportedly started in 2007.The contract, worth $1.6 billion, was the world's biggest single shipbuilding contract by deadweight tonnage.