Chongqing’s largest LNG-powered river-sea direct-service vessel has undergone a trial voyage.

April 9, 2026

China Transportation News Network

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Guide

Highlights at a glance

On April 3, 2024, Chongqing's largest LNG single-fuel river-sea direct bulk carrier, the "Shengtong 2016", left its berth in the Yunyang section of the Yangtze River and went to Longdong waters to carry out trial operations. This marks an important breakthrough in Chongqing's large-scale green river-sea direct ship construction technology. The ship has a total length of 140.4 meters, a full draft of 9.5 meters, and a deadweight of 22000 tons. It is the largest ship in the Chongqing Jianghai Direct Series. As a pure LNG-powered green ship, it can reduce the energy consumption cost by about 15% compared with the traditional fuel ship, significantly reduce the emission of pollutants, and realize the unity of environmental protection and economic benefits. During the trial period, Chongqing Yunyang Marine Department formulated a thorough maintenance plan, through the combination of remote control and on-site maintenance, to ensure the navigation safety and operation order of the trial waters. The trial comprehensively tested the navigation performance, handling stability and equipment reliability of the ship in different waters and working conditions, and systematically collected various key technical data, which laid a solid foundation for the ship to officially put into operation on the route from Ningbo, Zhejiang to Jiangsu at the end of April.

　　On April 3, at the Yunyang section of the Yangtze River, Chongqing's largest LNG single-fuel river-sea direct bulk cargo ship, "Shengtong 2016," slowly departed the berth and headed to the Longdong waters for trial operations, marking a significant breakthrough for Chongqing in the construction of large green river-sea direct ships.

　　The "Shengtong 2016" ship uses green LNG power, with a total length of 140.4 meters, a full-load draft of 9.5 meters, and a carrying capacity of 22,000 tons. It is the largest vessel in Chongqing's river-sea direct series and is expected to officially enter operation by the end of April, primarily serving the route from Zhejiang Ningbo to Jiangsu. As a green-powered ship using LNG single fuel, it can reduce energy costs by approximately 15% compared to traditional fuel ships, offering both environmental and economic benefits.

　　To ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the trial operations, Chongqing Yunyang Maritime Office formulated maintenance measures in advance, implemented remote control and on-site maintenance, and provided comprehensive support for navigation order and ship operation safety in the trial waters. During the trial, all parties strictly followed the established plan, thoroughly verifying the ship's navigation performance, operational stability, and equipment reliability under different water conditions and operating scenarios, while accurately collecting various technical data.

Hebei Port Group continues to deepen land-sea coordination, making every effort to build a convenient sea access port for the Xiong’an New Area.

In the first quarter, more than 50,000 vessel transits were recorded in the Yangtze River Estuary waterway, with cargo throughput reaching approximately 400 million tonnes.