China's First Own-Developed LNG Carrier Launched

According to CGTN, China recently launched its first independently-developed liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship in Zhoushan City of east China's Zhejiang Province. The ship, named "Huaxiang 8", built by the city's shipping enterprises, has successfully gone through related tests.

This achievement is of great significance to China's shipping industry, which has spent a lot on building and maintaining LNG ship since China had to import related designs and key components from other countries.

Moreover, the ship is equipped with bi-fuel engines, which can replace fuel oil with natural gas and greatly lower the emission of pollutants.

"Through the LNG fuel supply system equipped with bi-fuel engines, we can reduce around 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission, all sulfur dioxide and PM, as well as 80 percent oxynitride," said Deng Jiajia, assistant to the dean of the School of Port and Transportation Engineering of the Zhejiang Ocean University.

In addition, "Huaxiang 8" can run both on river and at sea. In the future, liquefied natural gas is expected to be transported by the ship to regions along the Yangtze River, not only providing clean energy but also promoting the creation of the whole LNG industry chain.

"Most of the ships running on the Yangtze River will be converted from fuel oil-powered to natural gas-powered. This move is very meaningful. The future market is quite large. We have nearly tens of thousands of ships, all of which are going to be converted," said Cai Dejiang, president of the Xiangrui Shipping Technology and Research Co. Ltd. in Zhoushan City.