World's largest dual-fuel-powered trailing suction hopper dredger delivered

The delivery ceremony for the Xinhaixun, a 15,000-cubic-meter trailing suction hopper dredger, was held on Sept 19 in Qidong, Jiangsu province. Invested by CCCC Shanghai Dredging Co Ltd and manufactured by Pudong-based ZPMC, the Xinhaixun is the largest and the first such vessel in China to adopt liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel propulsion.

With a length of 155.7 meters, a beam of 32 m, and a depth of 13.5 m, the Xinhaixun boasts a maximum hopper capacity of 16,808 cu m and is equipped with a 1,550-cu-m LNG tank. Its main engine, auxiliary generators, and boilers are all LNG dual-fuel powered, enabling it to meet various operational requirements through an advanced power control center. In gas mode, the vessel can reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent, and eliminate sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions entirely.

The Xinhaixun not only features conventional dredging vessel information systems such as automatic tracking, dredging control, and full-ship power management but also incorporates the most advanced and intelligent "one-button dredging" and "dredging and navigation integration" systems, achieving "unmanned dredging" functionality under typical operating conditions for the first time domestically.