COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Yangzhou has officially delivered China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel containership, the COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU, on Changxing Island, Shanghai.
According to COSCO SHIPPING, this marks three key shipbuilding breakthroughs: the first order by a Chinese shipowner, the first delivery by a Chinese shipyard, and the first real-ship use of a domestic methanol engine.
The vessel measures 366 metres long and 51 metres wide, with a capacity of 16,136 TEUs. It carries an 11,000 cubic metre methanol storage tank, enabling a non-stop voyage from the Far East to the US East Coast.
The ship also features a homegrown methanol dual-fuel engine, a methanol boiler, and the first methanol generator set on a Chinese containership, all developed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Its dual-fuel system allows switching between fuels based on voyage requirements, reportedly meeting top international standards for flexibility and stability.
The ship’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) meets IMO Phase III standards, at 54.4 per cent below the baseline. When using green methanol, annual CO2 emissions may be reduced by 120,000 tonnes, roughly equal to planting 6.7 million trees.
Safety systems include a triangular-array methanol tank and freshwater purging.
The COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU further incorporates digital intelligence. Its streamlined hull, efficient propellers, and twisted rudders reduce resistance. A high-capacity permanent magnet shaft generator improves the engine room environment and cuts maintenance.
Its Advanced Control and Monitoring System (ACMS) offers real-time route optimisation, equipment monitoring, and safety alerts.
COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Yangzhou applied a lean management system to ensure efficient delivery of the vessel.
The “methanol dual-fuel + intelligent shipping” model is expected to become a significant reference for the future of green, low-carbon, and smart shipping, according to COSCO SHIPPING.
Also this week, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions announced it would deliver the cargo handling and fuel supply systems for four 88,000 cubic metres (cbm) Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs) under construction at COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore.
