DALIAN, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- A China-built very large crude carrier (VLCC) was delivered in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Tuesday. The vessel features advanced energy-saving and environmentally friendly technologies developed by China's shipbuilding industry.
The VLCC was jointly built by the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (DSIC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), and China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. for a Norwegian shipowner.
Independently designed and developed by DSIC, the juggernaut measures about 333 meters in length, 60 meters in breadth and 30 meters in depth, with a deck area of more than 18,000 square meters and a total coating area exceeding 540,000 square meters.
The vessel significantly improved overall energy efficiency and environmental performance through optimized hull lines and an exhaust gas desulfurization system, which is expected to save around 35 million yuan (about 5.15 million U.S. dollars) in fuel costs annually.
According to the shipbuilder, the VLCC is also well suited to various ports and waterways. With a design draft of 20.5 meters, it can carry more than 2 million barrels of crude oil while sailing freely through the Strait of Malacca.
The ship's delivery comes as China continues to upgrade its shipbuilding industry to support sustained economic growth.
According to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources, China's shipbuilding industry maintained strong growth during the first half of the year, seeing its new shipbuilding orders, completed deliveries and order backlog increase by 105.2 percent, 34.8 percent and 37.1 percent year on year, respectively. The global market shares for these three indicators reached 73.9 percent, 55.4 percent and 63.3 percent, respectively, maintaining a leading position worldwide. ■
