World's first! Hudong-Zhonghua's independently developed LNG bunkering and transport vessel order takes effect.
2022-08-24 09:00
Recently, the construction contract for a 14,000 cubic meter LNG bunkering and transportation vessel, custom-built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. of China State Shipbuilding Corporation for Anhui Yangtze River LNG Co., Ltd., officially took effect. This marks the full transition of this world's first, China's first-built new vessel type from design blueprint to actual vessel construction, creating a demonstrative equipment for the “Gasification of Yangtze River” and “Dual Carbon” strategies.
Developed independently by Hudong-Zhonghua, this vessel adopts a design with complete independent intellectual property rights, enabling direct river-sea one-stop LNG bunkering and transportation. The vessel has an overall length of 130 meters, a molded breadth of 23.60 meters, a molded depth of 15.00 meters, and is classified by China Classification Society (CCS). To meet the height restrictions and safe passage requirements of the Yangtze River bridges under extreme high and low water levels, and to balance economic, convenient, and efficient considerations, the cargo draft adjustment of the vessel type has been specially designed. It integrates LNG bunkering and transportation, simultaneously possessing bunkering functions, allowing it to bunker LNG fuel-powered ships and provide a full range of professional services such as inerting, cooling, gassing, and warming up tanks. Its unique shallow draft design not only meets the design requirements for unlimited ocean navigation but also ensures navigability under extreme low water levels in the Yangtze River channel, making the vessel suitable for unlimited navigation areas and capable of passing through the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge year-round, achieving one-stop river-sea LNG bunkering and transportation, truly a "Yangtze River customized" LNG bunkering and transportation vessel.
The vessel adopts Hudong-Zhonghua's independently developed B-type containment system, which has been granted a national patent. This also marks the first application of an independently developed containment system on a domestic LNG carrier. This system features high cargo tank utilization, strong sloshing resistance, no liquid level loading restrictions, and high safety and reliability.
As a demonstration project for domestically produced LNG core equipment, this vessel also marks the first-time application of key equipment such as high and low load compressors, re-liquefaction units, LNG submerged pumps, ship-to-ship transfer systems, and LNG cryogenic valves, with a localization rate of approximately 80%.
The vessel adopts a dual-fuel full-revolving propulsion system, enabling flexible maneuvering in narrow inland waterways, and features an enhanced intelligent integrated automation system with “intelligent platform + intelligent navigation + intelligent energy efficiency”.
As the main artery of China's inland waterway shipping, the Yangtze River's annual transport volume reaches 3 billion tons, accounting for over 60% of the total inland waterway transport. For a long time, Yangtze River shipping has relied on diesel and heavy oil as ship propulsion fuels, which result in 70% higher overall pollution emissions compared to LNG-fueled vessels. Accelerating the conversion of Yangtze River shipping from oil to gas and implementing the "Gasification of Yangtze River" strategy is imperative.
According to relevant plans, before 2035, the total capacity of 13 million tons/year from 7 LNG receiving terminals along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River trunk line will require at least 80 small LNG vessels with a capacity of over 6,000 cubic meters. The effectiveness of this vessel's construction contract and its future completion and delivery will be crucial for opening up the LNG sea-to-river passage, creating a model and benchmark for the "Gasification of Yangtze River" project, and promoting the green development of Yangtze River shipping, thus having significant demonstrative and leading effects.
Hudong-Zhonghua is one of the world's few shipbuilders with the capability to research, design, and build a full range of LNG carriers, including large (174,000 cubic meters), medium (80,000 cubic meters), and small (14,000 cubic meters) sizes, covering both ocean and inland river transportation. This will not only further consolidate Hudong-Zhonghua's important position in the global LNG carrier construction market but also lay a solid foundation for the comprehensive improvement of China's shipbuilding industry's LNG high-end equipment industrial chain and supply chain.
The vessel is scheduled to commence operations in August 2024. By then, LNG water transportation on the Yangtze River trunk line will be possible directly from Shanghai to Wuhu, Anhui, enabling the "Gasification of Yangtze River" strategy to be implemented and realized.
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