Tianjin, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) — According to Zhou Yaqiang, a reporter from China News Network, the “Tong Jun,” a new-generation, ultra-large trailing suction hopper dredger independently designed and built by China, successfully completed all its sea trial items in the Yellow Sea on the 25th and returned to dock at the Zhenhua Shipyard in Qidong, Jiangsu Province. The successful sea trials indicate that the vessel is ready for official operation and will provide core equipment support for the nation’s maritime power construction and projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative.
The sea trials officially commenced on November 21 and lasted for five days. During this period, the “Tong Jun” conducted a series of tests on its navigation propulsion system, dredging system, and intelligent control system, undergoing rigorous inspection across 30 major categories and 91 sub-items. Under complex sea conditions, all key performance indicators of the vessel met or exceeded design standards.
The “Tong Jun” is China’s first independently designed and built ultra-large trailing suction hopper dredger with a hopper capacity class of 35,000 cubic meters. Its maximum hopper capacity reaches 38,168 cubic meters, ranking first in Asia and second in the world. During the sea trials, the two 9,000-kilowatt in-board dredge pumps installed on the vessel demonstrated strong performance, enabling ultra-long-distance discharge operations of up to 12 kilometers. A single load of dredged material from this vessel could fill a standard football field to a height of 5 meters.
To verify the vessel’s unlimited navigation area capability and adaptability to harsh sea conditions, the sea trials focused on maneuverability tests including speed measurement, turning, Z-maneuver, and course stability. Key equipment such as the main propulsion system and generator sets also successfully underwent long-duration endurance tests. The vessel is widely suitable for various construction scenarios including port and waterway dredging, reclamation, coastal maintenance, deep-sea sand extraction, and deep-sea trench excavation and backfilling, achieving comprehensive coverage of dredging operation scenarios.
In the intelligent system verification phase, the “Tong Jun”‘s integrated intelligent dredging control system (dredging, navigation, measurement integration) and intelligent navigation system proved fully functional and stable in performance. They enable intelligent control throughout the entire process, from precise navigation and positioning to efficient dredging operations, covering the full chain of “dredging – transport – discharge (or dumping)” with intelligent operation modes. Its level of intelligence is internationally leading.
It is reported that the “Tong Jun” is also the world’s first vessel to receive the i-ship(Da, m, o) intelligent dredging ship class notation. (End)
