Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) — The world’s largest photovoltaic-powered ro-ro ship Yuan Hai Kou has successfully completed its maiden voyage, arriving at the Greek port of Piraeus with 4,000 Chinese-made cars on board, China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited said.
The vessel is equipped with an onboard photovoltaic system with a peak power of 302.8 kW, the largest of its kind. Its annual power output reaches 410,000 kWh, and its carbon intensity over its life is about 35 percent lower than that of ships using traditional fuel, China’s Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.
“The successful maiden voyage of the car carrier Yuan Hai Kou is a practical step forward in COSCO’s global strategy to develop maritime transportation, connect ports and logistics, and set a new benchmark for low-carbon transformation in the global shipping industry,” said Zhang Wei, Chairman of COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd.
The 199.9-metre-long, 68,252-tonne gross tonnage, 39,069-tonne deadweight ro-ro has 12 transport decks, including eight fixed and four movable. Its deck capacity is said to be equivalent to 7,000 parking spaces, and it can carry passenger cars, engineering trucks and buses.
Equipping a ro-ro with a dual-fuel engine running on liquefied natural gas /LNG/ and fuel oil saves 20 percent of the energy consumed and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 24 percent compared to vessels running on fuel oil alone. For example, when performing a round trip from China to Europe, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by 2,100 tons on a one-way voyage.
The vessel uses the first domestic software for loading cars and trucks, independently developed by COSCO Shipping, and also implements real-time vehicle positioning and a fire warning system, which improves the safety of transporting vehicles using new energy sources.
Zhang Wei said that from January to May this year, the ro-ro fleet of leading global specialized shipping company COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers transported more than 100,000 vehicles to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, up 173 percent year-on-year. -0-