【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】1420-2024: The world’s first, and China’s first, LNG refueling vessel capable of traveling directly between rivers and seas was launched

Thread Content

Happy New Year 2024 **********************【A Decade of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) *****************On January 24, 2024, China’s landmark project known as “Gasifying the Yangtze River” – the world’s first and China’s first 14,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) refueling ship capable of operating both in rivers and at sea – was successfully launched from the shipyard. This marks the beginning of a new phase involving dock docking tests and sea trials, with completion and delivery planned for August this year. This vessel was custom-built by Hudong-Zhonghua for Anhui Yangtze LNG Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Huaihe Energy Holding Group, and is capable of performing both functions of one-stop LNG refueling and transportation directly from rivers to the sea. It is equipped with a Type B LNG containment system that was developed independently by the company and for which **patent rights have been obtained**. This is the first time that this system has been applied in an engineering setup on a domestic LNG carrier, marking a significant breakthrough in China’s development of a Type B LNG containment system with fully independent intellectual property rights. It provides another \"Chinese solution\" for the manufacturing technology of key core equipment for LNG carriers around the world. The ship has a total length of 130 meters, a beam of 23.6 meters, and a draft of 15 meters; it is classified by the China Classification Society (CCS). The ship features a unique shallow draft design that not only meets the requirements for operation in open ocean waters but also ensures navigability even at the lowest water levels in the Yangtze River. This enables it to operate in open ocean conditions and to pass under the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge throughout the year, facilitating one-stop LNG refueling transportation directly from the river to the sea; it can thus be considered an LNG refueling vessel tailored for the Yangtze River. It is particularly worth mentioning that, as a demonstration facility for implementing the \"Gasify the Yangtze River\" strategy and the \"dual carbon\" goals, as well as a model project for domestic LNG industry chain equipment, Hudong-Zhonghua assumes the role of \"chain leader.\" By working together with dozens of domestic enterprises, it focuses on collective innovation efforts to promote the use on ships of a range of domestically developed equipment, including patented Type B liquid cargo containment systems and compressors for different load levels. It features a dual-fuel powered full-turn propulsion system that enables flexible navigation in narrow inland waterways, as well as an enhanced intelligent integrated automation system comprising \"intelligent platform + intelligent navigation + intelligent energy efficiency.\" Upon completion, the domestic production rate for key components is expected to exceed 80%. The Yangtze River is the main artery for water transportation between the east and west of China, with an annual cargo transport capacity of over 3 billion tons, accounting for more than 60% of the country’s total inland waterway traffic. For a long time, river transportation on the Yangtze River has relied on ships powered by diesel and heavy oil, resulting in an increasingly severe environmental pollution problem. HDZC and Huaihe Energy Group have joined forces to create a groundbreaking solution for reducing emissions in Yangtze River shipping, as well as a landmark project for the \"gasification of the Yangtze River\". Known as a mobile \"gas station\" on the Yangtze River that provides LNG refueling services, it will establish a route for LNG to reach the river from the sea, thereby accelerating the transition of ships operating in the Yangtze River basin to LNG-powered vessels. This will make it possible to reduce overall pollution emissions from shipping activities in this river basin by 70% in the near future.