On the morning of November 23rd, the 73-meter LNG-powered dual-use bulk carrier “7027”, independently developed and manufactured by Xinneng Shipbuilding, slowly departed from its berth. Laden with 2,690 tons of high-quality thermal coal, it embarked on its first self-operated voyage towards the Yinshawan Terminal in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. Its clean hull, paired with an advanced intelligent control system, sketched a distinct picture of low-carbon shipping on the canal waterway, marking the addition of new momentum for green inland waterway transport.
The successful launch of this self-operated vessel is a significant practice for Xinneng Shipbuilding in responding to the strategic deployment of the group company and innovating its operational model. The company collaborated with Jining Port and Shipping Logistics Co., Ltd. to build a closed-loop cooperation model of “manufacturing + operation.” This approach not only leverages its own technical advantages in the R&D and manufacturing of new energy vessels but also relies on professional operational resources to ensure the efficient deployment of the vessels, allowing its independently developed green intelligent vessels to quickly enter actual shipping scenarios. As the “pioneering vehicle” of Xinneng Shipbuilding’s self-operation model, the “7027” LNG new energy-powered vessel is a mature, standardized ship type from the company. Certified by the China Classification Society (CCS), it achieves dual breakthroughs in green environmental protection and operational efficiency. Its excellent performance—reducing resistance by 8%, energy consumption by 4%, and carbon emissions by 20%—will fully demonstrate the core advantages of new energy vessels in actual navigation.
Developing self-operated business is a strategic choice for Xinneng Shipbuilding to improve its industrial ecosystem and enhance service value. In recent years, Xinneng Shipbuilding has deeply cultivated the track of inland waterway new energy vessels, with multiple power types such as LNG and pure electric being put into production in batches, and market recognition both domestically and internationally continuously increasing. The core of launching this self-operation model is to validate vessel performance and optimize service solutions through actual shipping scenarios, further perfecting the entire industrial chain of “R&D – manufacturing – operation – service,” and to provide customers with green shipping solutions that better fit their actual needs. Simultaneously, the deployment of self-operated vessels will also provide a fresh sample for establishing operational standards and driving technological iteration and upgrades for inland waterway new energy vessels, effectively promoting the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries such as steel, high-end chemicals, and precision manufacturing. This injects strong momentum into the economic development of the Southern Shandong region and the economic revival of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, contributing to the achievement of the national “Dual Carbon” goals.
Looking ahead, Xinneng Shipbuilding will take the successful launch of the “7027” LNG new energy-powered vessel as a starting point to deepen the practice of the self-operation model, summarize operational experience, optimize the management service system, and gradually expand the scale of self-operation. It will introduce new ship types such as pure electric and methanol-powered vessels, and expand into more cargo categories and shipping routes. Concurrently, the company will focus on core technological innovation in green and intelligent shipping, continuously enhancing the “new technology content” and “green content” of its vessels. By improving the integrated layout of “self-production, self-operation, and self-marketing,” it aims to lead the green and intelligent transformation of inland waterway shipping, safeguarding the “sustained northward flow of clean water” with concrete actions, and steadily promoting the high-quality development of inland waterway shipping.
