China is planning to launch its first substantial cruise ship this year as it makes crucial advancements in increasing its reliance on modern manufacturing, as reported by SCMP.
Domestic cruise ship
China’s first domestic cruise ship, the H1508, has been under construction since October 2019 and is anticipated to be in the water by May, according to sources in state media.
According to Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, which conducted a news conference on Friday, sea trials will begin in July, and the ship will be named and delivered by the end of the year.
But neither its location nor its purchaser was made public.
Most sparkling pearl
According to officials, the cruise ship’s construction was 87% finished.
Last year, Liu Jianbin had the opportunity to board the ship. The H1508’s inaugural voyage will mark the beginning of a new era for Chinese cruise ships, according to the CEO of Shangchuanba, a high-end cruise service company located in China.
Cruise ship construction is regarded as the “most sparkling pearl in the crown that is the ship-making industry,” according to Liu.
The arrival of the ship is anticipated to be a turning point for China’s efforts in advanced manufacturing generally as well as the shipbuilding sector specifically. Due to the required technologies and the intricacy of the design, large cruise ships, often known as floating cities, are among the most challenging and complex vessels to construct.
They are the only kind of cutting-edge, highly valuable ships that China has not yet produced.
The few shipyards in Europe and South Korea have built practically all of the world’s large cruise ships, and foreign companies like Royal Caribbean International and Costa Cruises own the ones that are currently operating in China.
The parent firm of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, China State Shipbuilding, estimates that the H1508 requires five times as many parts as the C919 passenger plane and thirteen times as many as the Fuxing high-speed rail.
Capesize freight vessel
The shipbuilder claimed the vessel’s 4,200 km-long cable arrangement (2,610 miles). In contrast, it is roughly 4,650 kilometres (km) from China’s easternmost city of Fuyuan in the Heilongjiang province to its westernmost city of Kashgar in Xinjiang.
The cruise ship is 20 times more labour-intensive to construct than a “Capesize” freight vessel, the largest class of bulk ship that can transport any kind of cargo, according to the business.
On its website, China State Shipbuilding claims that “industry insiders agree that huge cruise ships are not simply ships, but an ultimate masterpiece and comprehensive assemblage of modern industries.”
Waigaoqiao began construction on the H1509, China’s second sizable cruise ship, in August. It is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Having a length of 371 metres, the second ship will be 17.4 metres longer than the first. Additionally, the H1509 will have 2,144 guest rooms—19 more than the H1508—and a top speed of 22.7 knots.
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Source: SCMP
