China delivers first ultra-abyssal underwater support vessel to foreign company

Photo taken on Oct. 16, 2017 shows an ultra-abyssal underwater support vessel "Maersk Installer", the first underwater support vessel exported by Chinese shipyards, in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. Built by COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard for Danish company Maersk Supply Service, the vessel can support marine engineering projects as deep as 3,000 meters, all year-round, in the sea anywhere in the world except in the Arctic and Antarctic. (Xinhua/Bai Yongquan)

DALIAN, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese firm delivered an ultra-abyssal underwater support vessel to Danish company Maersk Supply Service Monday in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Built by COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard, the vessel "Maersk Installer" can support marine engineering projects as deep as 3,000 meters, all year-round, in the sea anywhere in the world except in the Arctic and Antartic.

Installed with equipment such as an advanced crane and underwater robots, the vessel is capable of supporting repair and maintanence of underwater projects, installation of deep-sea pipeline and fire rescue.

The vessel is 137.6 meters long and 27 meters wide, has a load capacity of 9,788 tonnes and a speed of 15.2 nautical miles per hour.

It is the first underwater support vessel exported by Chinese shipyards, according to Zhao Zengshan, deputy general manager with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, the parent company of COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard.

"The successful delivery can increase the brand popularity of Chinese marine equipment manufacturers," Zhao said.