VESSEL REVIEW | Chang Long Hai – New Ro-Ro to serve COSCO Shipping’s Bohai Bay maritime highway routes

Chinese shipbuilder CSSC Offshore and Marine Engineering Company (COMEC) recently handed over a new freight-only Ro-Ro vessel to COSCO Shipping Passenger Transport. Built in compliance to China Classification Society rules, Chang Long Hai (“Chang Long Sea”) is the second in a series of Ro-Ro ships that will operate in Bohai Bay.

The newbuild has an LOA of 193 metres, a beam of 26 metres, a draught of 5.8 metres, a displacement of 20,817 tonnes at full load, a gross tonnage of 25,000, and a design speed of 17 knots.

The prominent open cargo deck measures 140.2 metres and can house up to 140 20-foot containers while the remaining lower vehicle decks can accommodate a maximum of 600 cars across a total of 3,050 lane metres. Freight can be loaded via a bow ramp/door.

The ship was designed with consideration for energy conservation and emissions reductions, necessitating the installation of an intelligent operations management system.

Chang Long Hai has already begun operating between Dalian and Yantai alongside near-identical sister Shun Long Hai as well as COSCO Shipping’s Ro-Pax ferries Ji Long Dao and Xiang Long Dao as part of the company’s maritime highway system in Bohai Bay.