Wan Ming Zi You, an 85,000-ton bulk carrier, is launched in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province on April 9. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

An 85,000-ton bulk carrier, the largest seaborne vessel ever built by Taizhou, was launched in the city on April 9.

Named Wan Ming Zi You, the ship, measuring 229.98 meters in length, 36.5 meters in width and 19 meters in height, was built by Wanlong Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd.

The ship is powered by an 11,650-kilowatt propulsion system and has a capacity of 85,000 metric tons. It will be used to transport bulk cargo containing grain, coal and building materials between ports in China.

According to an employee at Wanlong Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd, the ship has superior handling performance and loading and unloading efficiency. It also consumes less energy than vessels of its class.

Previously, the 82,000-ton Queen Sarah, which was built by Zhejiang Hongxin Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd, was the largest ship built in Taizhou.

The increased shipbuilding capacity of local shipbuilders has helped them secure more orders, according to Yang Juanbin, secretary-general of the Taizhou Shipbuilding Industry Association.

Earlier this year, Haidong Shipyard, a State-owned shipbuilder in Taizhou, received an order worth 1.7 billion yuan ($247.35 million) from Akron Group in Greece.