On September 19, Hunan Jinhang Shipbuilding signed a contract with Huaguang Yuanhai International Logistics Group to build the “Huaguang Yuanhai”, a 1,080 TEU hatchless container ship. This marks the third shipbuilding project contracted between the two parties, following the “Huaguang Linghang” and the “Huaguang Jinhang”.
This vessel is a forward-bridge, stern-engine design with twin engines, twin propellers, and twin rudders, and is equipped with an electric side thruster at the bow, making it suitable for coastal waters. The vessel has an overall length of 129.98 meters, a beam of 23.90 meters, a depth of 11.00 meters, a designed draft of 6.60 meters, a service speed of approximately 10.8 knots, and a crew of 13.
The vessel has a maximum capacity of 1,084 TEU (20-foot containers) or 542 FEU (40-foot containers); twelve 40-foot container slots on the ship’s side above the engine room deck are compatible with 45-foot containers. It is equipped with 30 reefer plugs. Cargo holds No. 1 through No. 3 can accommodate 760 TEU of dangerous goods containers, suitable for packaged dangerous goods of IMO Classes 2.1, 2.2, 3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 6.1, 8, and 9 (subject to verification by the vessel inspection certificate). The main engines are Zichai Boyang Model 6N260ZLC units (two engines, 1,470 kW each), operating on No. 0 to No. -10 light diesel oil.
The vessel is equipped with a real-time monitoring system that supports video recording, image capture, two-way communication, and remote camera control. It integrates over 40 types of AI algorithms to provide real-time alerts for onboard violations, while also logging and storing data for periodic analysis. The bridge features an integrated display consolidating data from key equipment—such as radar, electronic charts, steering gear, main engines, depth sounders, and GPS—thereby eliminating issues related to fragmented displays and information silos; this allows shore-based managers and operators to gain a comprehensive overview of the vessel’s status on a single screen and make rapid decisions.
Meanwhile, the shipboard energy efficiency management platform performs continuous data acquisition on critical equipment—such as main engines, auxiliary engines, shafting, and generators—and automatically evaluates propulsion efficiency by factoring in loading conditions and waterway hydrology. It generates recommendations for optimal speed, trim, and main engine load to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Additionally, the platform supports fault early warning and remote shore-based monitoring, while automatically generating EEDI data, fuel consumption statistics, and emissions reports to meet the energy efficiency regulatory requirements of maritime authorities and classification societies.
In July 2025, Huaguang Yuanhai International Logistics signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hunan Jinhang Shipbuilding for the construction of new energy vessels. Over the next three years, Huaguang Yuanhai International Logistics will commission Jinhang Shipbuilding to build five LNG-powered container ships—the largest in China designed for specific river-to-sea direct routes. The construction contract for the first vessel in this order was officially signed on August 11, 2025.
Hunan Jinhang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. was established in 2009 and is located in the Yuanjiang Shipbuilding Industrial Park. It occupies a total area of 107,968 square meters, with a waterfront stretching over 1,000 meters, and holds production and construction qualifications for various types of steel and aluminum vessels for both coastal and inland waterways.