Wuxi shipmaker launches new heavy-lift vessel

A multi-purpose heavy-lift ship named Herbert left Jiangyin Port as planned and sailed smoothly through the Wuxi section of the Yangtze River on Feb 23.

The ship will make its maiden voyage to Tianjin to carry its first cargo shipment from Siemens Gamesa to Sweden for a wind power project.

The vessel, manufactured by Chengxi Shipyard Co of China CSSC Holdings in Jiangyin, a city in Wuxi, is currently the largest multi-purpose heavy-lift ship by deadweight tonnage in the world.

It is 199.9 meters long, 32.26 meters wide, and 19.3 meters deep, equivalent to the size of 14 standard basketball courts. It also has five big-open cargo holds on deck to load heavy equipment of various sizes. In addition, it is equipped with yellow container feet oriented to containers.

Chengxi Shipyard Co has been working to speed up production flow and delivered the vessel about 45 days earlier than the date stated in the contract. The vessel will mainly operate in Europe and Asia. Two identical ships will also be put into operation in April and June, according to directors from the company.