On the morning of September 8, China's first 88,000 cubic meter very large gas carrier (88K VLGC), the "Changpingyuan," officially completed construction and was named, marking a new breakthrough in China's independent design and construction of very large gas carriers.
The vessel has an overall length of approximately 230 meters. During construction, an advanced low-temperature welding process independently developed in China was applied, achieving technological self-reliance in core construction stages. Equipped with an LPG dual-fuel main engine and shaft generator, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20% and sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions by approximately 90% compared to fuel-oil mode, reaching internationally leading environmental standards. It is currently the VLGC with the largest cargo capacity capable of transiting both the old and new locks of the Panama Canal.
Additionally, the vessel features multi-cargo transport capability, capable of carrying nine types of liquefied gas cargoes, including LPG and ammonia, precisely matching the anticipated growth in demand in the global ammonia shipping market, with outstanding market adaptability and forward-looking development.
As another landmark achievement in China's high-end shipbuilding sector, the "Changpingyuan" has broken the long-standing foreign technological monopoly in the design and construction of same-class very large gas carriers, while also laying a solid technological foundation for China's future independent construction of large clean-energy transport fleets.