VESSEL REVIEW | Jining Ganghang 9001 – LNG-powered boxship to operate in China’s inland waters
Shandong Xinneng Shipbuilding, a joint venture formed by Chinese companies the Jining Energy Development Group and CIMC Enric, has completed construction of a new LNG-powered container vessel designed for operation on inland waterways.
Jining Ganghang 9001 (济宁港航9001; "Jining Port and Shipping 9001") has an LOA of 90 metres (300 feet), a beam of 16.56 metres (54.33 feet), a depth of 5.4 metres (18 feet), a deadweight of 5,000, and a capacity of 161 TEUs. The dimensions make the vessel one of the largest LNG-powered inland containerships in operation in the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, though it is still low enough to safely pass underneath the bridges that line the vital route.
Capable of extended-endurance sailings
The two main engines and the generators all run on LNG supplied by a 30-cubic-metre (1,000-cubic-foot) fuel tank fitted at the stern while located near the bow are the wheelhouse and the accommodation block. The main engines drive propellers to deliver a service speed of 6.4 knots and a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), allowing the vessel to sail along the entire length of the nearly 1,800-kilometre (1,100-mile) Beijing-Hangzhou Canal without refuelling.
The onboard LNG power package was provided by CIMC Enric and can help generate up to 90 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 15 per cent fewer carbon emissions compared to vessels that run on traditional fuels. CIMC Enric also built two onshore LNG bunkering stations to support the vessel’s operations.
Streamlined design and intelligent systems
The hull is fitted with a round shaft, a vertical bow, a double tail fin, and a hypertrophic linear design. The ship is therefore three per cent more energy-efficient than its conventionally-fuelled counterparts.
The ship also features intelligent systems to facilitate intelligent monitoring and automatic operation and data analysis of various parameters to ensure operational safety and efficiency. The intelligent bridge uses modern sensing technology, data processing technology, automatic control technology, and remote monitoring technology to carry out real-time monitoring, fault detection, early warning and automatic adjustment of various equipment and systems.
Systems that facilitate AI-supported intelligent navigation are also fitted, thus reducing the crew's workload when operating in areas with obstacles and high vessel traffic.
Jining Ganghang 9001 was built in compliance with China Classification Society rules.
