The Xiang Tai Kou, a new semi-submersible vessel, joined the nation's semi-submersible fleet on Thursday when it arrived ready for use in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

According to a statement released by Guangzhou Shipyard International Company, who built the vessel, the 65,000-metric ton semi-submersible is approximately 231.1 meters long and 46 meters wide, with a deck nearly as large as two standard soccer pitches. It is equipped with four 4,000 kW medium voltage generator sets, with a total power of almost 16 MW. The vessel's mammoth size and power have earned it the nickname "Hercules forklift at sea".

The Xiang Tai Kou reaches 13.8 knots, equivalent to 25.55 kilometers per hour, has a range of 20,000 nautical miles, and accommodates 49 passengers. It is the eighth semi-submersible vessel GSI has built for COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co Ltd.

The Xiang Tai Kou mainly transports super large equipment that cannot be disassembled, including offshore engineering platforms, oil and gas exploitation modules, large wind power equipment, and even ships. Semi-submersible vessels can lower themselves into the water by deballasting and becoming surface vessels, making them ideal for large-scale equipment transportation, marine resource development, and emergency rescue.

According to the statement, the Xiang Tai Kou is equipped with a DP2 dynamic positioning system and Ice Class B ice zone navigation capability. Construction on the vessel began on September 15, 2022, with a roughly 15-month construction period and a dock construction period of only 120 days, demonstrating a "world-class China speed" in the shipbuilding industry.

Photos by Zhong Wei, Zhao Yunpeng