SHENZHEN, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- "BYD EXPLORER NO.1," a vehicle carrier vessel leased to Chinese automaker BYD, was delivered and left the construction base of the vessel maker in Longkou, east China's Shandong Province Tuesday.
It arrived at Yantai Port on the same day, berthing at the ro-ro terminal to start loading. Its next stop will be Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, and will head for Europe after loading cars around Jan. 15.
"BYD EXPLORER NO.1" has a total length of 199.9 meters, a width of 38 meters, a design draft of 8.6 meters, a speed of 19 knots, and a loading capacity of 7,000 vehicles.
According to China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd. (CIMC), headquartered in Shenzhen, "BYD EXPLORER NO.1" was built by CIMC Raffles, a subsidiary of CIMC, for international ship management company Zodiac Maritime, and was leased to BYD as the first ship of BYD's "sea shipping fleet."
The vessel, equipped with two sets of Type C tanks, uses green and clean liquified natural gas as the main fuel for main engine and generator. With a maximum cruising range of 15,800 nautical miles, it is an energy-saving, environment-friendly and efficient automobile carrier. ■
