The vessel, named COSCO Shipping Jixiang, features impressive dimensions with a length overall (LOA) of 201.8 meters (662.1 feet), a beam of 32.26 meters (105.8 feet), and a depth of 19.3 meters (63.3 feet). With a gross tonnage of 40,350 and deadweight tonnage of 62,000, the vessel is designed to operate at a service speed of 13.5 knots or more.
The ship’s design includes a box-type cargo hold with a capacity of 72,500 cubic meters (2.56 million cubic feet), optimized for transporting wood pulp. The versatile cargo hold can also carry other goods such as grain, iron ore, steel coils, containers, rail vehicles, and even large project cargo like offshore wind turbine blades. To preserve the quality of the wood pulp, the vessel is equipped with dehumidification systems, while deck cranes allow for self-loading and unloading of up to 200 tonnes of cargo at once.
In terms of environmental sustainability, the vessel is equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems on both its main and auxiliary engines, ensuring compliance with IMO Tier III NOx emissions standards.
The COSCO Shipping Jixiang has set sail from the Taicang International Container Terminal in Jiangsu Province, China, and is en route to its first operational destination in Houston, Texas. The series of six pulp carriers ordered by Qingdao Intercontinental Shipping will all be classed by China Classification Society and flagged in Liberia.
