On September 26, China’s largest double-boom variable-radius crane ship, “Erhang Zhuoyue,” was successfully delivered at the Nantong Zhenhua Qidong Offshore Engineering Base.
The vessel has an overall length of 165 meters, a molded breadth of 52 meters, a molded depth of 11 meters, and a design draft of 6.5 meters. It has a maximum lifting capacity of 5,500 tons and a maximum lifting height of 120 meters. Construction began on August 14, 2023, with hull assembly completed in December 2023. The ship was successfully launched on June 6, 2024, and the installation and commissioning of the lifting equipment were completed in early September 2024.
This ship is not only powerful but also highly adaptable to various environments. It can handle the complete hoisting of ultra-long bridge components, such as effortlessly lifting 130-meter span steel box girders, and can pass through areas with a 47-meter height restriction without obstruction. With side pontoons installed, the minimum draft can reach 4.5 meters, making it particularly suitable for shallow-water bridge projects. The ship’s dimensions are more rationally designed, and the installed anti-rolling tanks significantly enhance its ability to withstand wind and waves. Whether it’s the strong winds and high waves at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Pearl River estuary, or in the Zhoushan Archipelago, it can easily cope, making it a super tool for bridge construction.
This “strongman” also possesses “great wisdom.” The ship’s cloud platform employs a highly accurate satellite positioning system, along with high-tech features such as intelligent engine rooms, zero-speed anti-rolling, remote control, and auxiliary propulsion systems. Intelligent maintenance makes it easier for crew members to operate, providing real-time information on wind, waves, and currents, as well as monitoring the ship’s rocking and heaving states. Using wind, wave, and current measurement data as input conditions, a simulation system assesses the ship’s motion amplitude, aiding in intelligent operation decision-making. Additionally, it is equipped with an intelligent energy efficiency management system that adjusts generator efficiency based on changes in the ship’s electrical load.
Besides being capable and efficient, environmental protection and energy conservation are also prioritized. “Erhang Zhuoyue” employs various green energy-saving technologies from power generation and energy storage to utilization. The project manager explained that the ship uses more efficient permanent magnet motors to power the main and auxiliary hook winches, saving about 20% electricity compared to conventional asynchronous motors. Moreover, they installed 30kW of solar panels, generating 100kWh of electricity daily. Excess power is stored in a 783.92kWh lithium iron phosphate battery for backup use, resulting in an overall carbon emission reduction of over 15%.
The “strongman’s” information and digital configuration is also quite “luxurious.” A management system specifically developed for large-scale hoisting operations helps crew members determine hoisting procedures, calculate work efficiency, analyze energy usage, and automatically generate records, construction logs, and monthly reports for each hoisting operation. This not only reduces the crew’s workload but also ensures data accuracy.