A state-of-the-art trench laying ship was launched at Jiantiao port in Sanmen county, Taizhou on Nov 1. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

A state-of-the-art trench laying ship was launched at Jiantiao port in Sanmen county, Taizhou on Nov 1.

Built by Taizhou-based Zhejiang Haoyou Shipbuilding Co Ltd, the ship is 116.6 meters long, 25 meters wide, and 6.3 meters high.

It is specifically designed for soft trench laying and sand filling operations in various coastal environments, including shoals and deepwater ports. With its expertise in national maritime projects, particularly sea reclamation initiatives such as offshore airports and reef development, it will play a crucial role.

Zhang Yilin, general manager of Zhejiang Haoyou Shipbuilding Co Ltd, believes that the ship will fill a void in the domestic maritime industry due to its unique features.

The groundbreaking ship boasts several impressive specifications, including a maximum trench laying width of 54 meters, a trench laying length of 300 meters, a filling capacity of 1,000 cubic meters per hour, and a maximum operating water depth of 30 meters. It outperforms all other engineering ships in the nation in terms of tonnage, digitalization, filling capacity, and laying depth.

The launch is just the beginning of a larger project, as the demand for trench laying ships is set to increase alongside the country's large-scale maritime projects. Zhang Yilin revealed that another trench laying ship will be completed and launched within a month. In addition, the company has already secured eight potential orders worth approximately 1 billion yuan ($136.69 million).