Chinese shipbuilder delivers large LNG dual-fuel-powered vehicle carrier

A drone photo taken on Feb. 21, 2025 shows Wenjingkou, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel-powered, 8,600-Car-Equivalent-Unit (CEU) vehicle carrier vessel, undergoing a sea trial in the East China Sea. (Xinhua)

A Chinese shipbuilder on Monday delivered a liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel-powered, 8,600-Car-Equivalent-Unit (CEU) vehicle carrier vessel to its operator.

The carrier vessel, Wenjingkou, was independently developed and designed by a Chinese research institute and measures 199.9 meters in length, 38 meters in width and 14.8 meters in depth.

The vessel features 14 vehicle decks, enabling the efficient loading and unloading of various automobile types, including cars, trucks and buses. The total deck area is approximately 75,000 square meters -- equivalent to nearly 11 standard soccer fields.

Wenjingkou was constructed by the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, in collaboration with the China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd.

The vessel is equipped with an advanced LNG dual-fuel power system, which significantly enhances power efficiency and reduces carbon emissions and pollutants during operations, according to Liu Yunwu, vice chairman of Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping, which will operate Wenjingkou.

The inaugural operational voyage of Wenjingkou will see it transport over 5,700 units of commercial and engineering vehicles from Shanghai to major European ports such as Bristol in the United Kingdom, Zeebrugge in Belgium, and Bremerhaven in Germany. ■