On August 5, the second domestically built large cruise ship, H1509, constructed by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), achieved the first main generator engine start. This milestone marks the cruise ship’s equipment system debugging entering a critical phase, with the construction fully transitioning into the equipment commissioning and system function verification stage. Compared to the first ship, H1509 achieved this node four months ahead of schedule.
That morning, as Chen Gang, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, as well as the on-site Chief Commander and Chief Designer of the domestically built large cruise ship project, pressed the main generator start button, the “heart” of the cruise ship began beating, supplying power to the ship’s related equipment systems.
The main generator is the core equipment of a cruise ship, serving as the primary power source for the vessel’s electrical distribution and propulsion systems. The main generator engine start signifies that 18 related fluid systems (including fuel/lubricating oil systems, high/low-temperature water systems, exhaust/ventilation systems, etc.) and over 300 auxiliary equipment have reached completion, with mechanical space installation nearing its end.
Compared to conventional merchant ships, cruise ship main generators differ significantly in both quantity and power output. A vivid analogy is that while conventional merchant ships power a single vessel, a cruise ship’s power system drives a mobile “city at sea.”
The main generator of a cruise ship has high single-unit power. The H1509 is equipped with five high-power generators, independently arranged in bow and stern engine rooms based on safe return-to-port design. The first generator to achieve engine start is a Man V-type 14-cylinder high-pressure common rail engine with an output power of 16.8 MW—equivalent to the main engine power of a 100,000-ton cargo ship. The diesel engine installation adopted an innovative misaligned elastic vibration-damping foot design, reducing operational vibrations.
Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding comprehensively summarized the experience from the first ship, thoroughly implemented lean management concepts, and continuously optimized process workflows. The company executed shore power renovation projects to ensure the normal operation of low-voltage power systems while advancing medium-voltage switchboard debugging ahead of schedule. Efficient progress was made in mechanical ventilation systems and auxiliary generator system debugging, including seawater cooling, low-temperature water cooling, and air compressors, laying a solid foundation for the generator’s smooth operation.
As of now, the overall progress of the second domestically built large cruise ship, H1509, exceeds 80%. The next phase will focus on interior outfitting and equipment system debugging to ensure the ship’s successful undocking in March 2026 and completion and delivery by the end of that year.
Liu Jianfeng, Chief Technologist of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding; Chen Jianwei, Assistant General Manager; shipowners, ship inspectors, and heads of relevant company departments witnessed the first main generator engine start of this large cruise ship.
