China's 'biggest' solar/LNG-powered PCTC embarks on inaugural global voyage

The Yuan Hai Kou, hailed as China’s largest ocean-going solar- and liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered cargo ship, has set sail on its maiden voyage from Nansha, Guangzhou.

As disclosed, the 7,000 CEU PV + LNG dual-fuel car carrier was fully loaded with Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), after which the vessel embarked on a journey to countries such as Greece, Turkey, Italy and Tunisia, which are along the Belt and Road Initiative.

The vessel, featuring a length of 199.9 meters, a gross tonnage of 68,252 tons and a displacement of 39,069 tons, was booked by Guangzhou Yuanhai Auto Carrier, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, and constructed by Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI), part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

Aa informed, it was christened and launched in May this year at the Guangzhou Nansha Auto Terminal.

Yuan Hai Kou, which is described as China’s largest carrier of EVs of its type, was engineered to accommodate a wide range of vehicles, including commercial trucks, engineering machinery, buses, and MAFI cargo, according to COSCO Shipping.

COSCO Shipping has said that Yuan Hai Kou is ‘the