Chinese-built vessels showcase collaborative effort

Two super-sized dredgers, each with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters, were undocked on Tuesday in Qidong, Jiangsu province.

The vessels, designed, researched, developed and built independently by Chinese companies, are the largest of their kind in Asia.

Named Tongjun and Junguang, the dredgers are the result of a collaborative national effort. They were designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China in Shanghai, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, and built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co, according to Yan Bing, deputy chief engineer of Shanghai Zhenhua.

"The project significantly advanced the localization of key equipment, with critical ship systems utilizing high-quality domestic brands. The overall localization rate for all onboard equipment has reached 95 percent," Yan said.

The vessels measure at 198 meters in length and 38.5 meters in width, with a maximum dredging depth of 120 meters. They are also equipped with an independently developed intelligent control system, said Zha Changmiao, executive director of China Communications Construction Co's Party Committee, on Tuesday.

Zha said dredgers are crucial for infrastructure projects such as waterway excavation and port construction, as seen in the Suez Canal. They have also played a role in major national endeavors, including coastal land reclamation and island building.

The design of the dredgers highlight intelligence, efficiency, versatility and environmental friendliness, said Qin Bin, deputy general manager and chief engineer of CCCC Tianjin Dredging Co.

"This advanced design has brought about exceptional operational performance, including powerful soil-breaking ability, a maximum dredging depth of 120 meters, long-distance transport and an extended pumping range for land reclamation," Qin said.

Each vessel is equipped with a fully self-developed intelligent dredging operating system and is expected to emit 19 percent less carbon than traditional ones, Qin added.

Fei Long, chief expert of China State Shipbuilding Corp and deputy chief engineer of the Marine Design and Research Institute of China, said the project is a landmark achievement for the dredging industry.

"We faced immense challenges, including an extremely tight construction timeline, extensive cross operations and exceptionally high precision requirements," Fei said.

To address these challenges, the team deployed two independent production lines and assembled two specialized, highly skilled shipbuilding teams, according to Fei.

China's marine economy continues to expand, with the total marine output value exceeding 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion), said Jiang Song, executive general manager of China Communications Construction Co's dredging division and chairman of CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Co.

"The consistent expansion of international trade and port throughput has further driven demand for dredging and waterway infrastructure, accelerating the development of larger and deeper ports," Jiang said.

He added that countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, are showing strong demand for large-scale land reclamation, deep-water port construction and mineral mining projects, indicating substantial market potential.