On September 10, Zhoushan Changhong International held a steel-cutting ceremony at its Daishan Base workshop for a 21,700-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship ordered by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
The vessel has an overall length of 366 meters, a draft of 33.2 meters, a beam of 61.3 meters, and a design speed of 19 knots. With a capacity of 21,700 standard containers, the vessel is classified by DNV and is currently the largest container ship under construction in Zhejiang Province. It was jointly developed and designed by Changhong International and Changhong International and CIMC ORIC (CIMC Offshore Research Institute).
This vessel features a next-generation LNG dual-fuel propulsion system, with provisions for future ammonia fuel integration, significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions while increasing cargo capacity. Through CFD simulations and tank tests, the hull design, air deflector, propeller duct, and twisted rudder were optimized in a coupled analysis, effectively reducing fuel consumption during navigation and improving propulsion efficiency.
Additionally, the vessel is equipped with an ICMS centralized control system and an SSPM performance monitoring system. By leveraging digital twins and machine learning algorithms, these systems enable predictive maintenance of equipment, intelligent energy consumption regulation, and coordinated management of subsystems, thereby enhancing the level of intelligence in vessel operations.
Earlier this year, Zhoushan Changhong International signed a contract with MSC for the construction of 5+5 21,700-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships, with delivery scheduled for 2028–2029. This order marks the fourth newbuilding project in the partnership between the two companies, following projects for 11,500-TEU, 10,300-TEU, and 19,000-TEU vessels.
The vessel that commenced construction now is the third in this series, following the first, which began construction on June 18, and the second, which started on August 18.