On September 3rd, alongside the dry dock of Zhongyuan Shipyard at the Guichi Shipbuilding Industrial Base in Chizhou City, a colossal green vessel made its way into the Yangtze River. The vessel, named 'Ruihang Qisheng', is a combined cargo and container ship measuring 119.9 meters in length, 21 meters in width, and 8.6 meters in depth.
As the first LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) new-energy cargo ship constructed by a local Chizhou shipping enterprise, its launch marks a significant breakthrough in the city's green and low-carbon water transport transformation. In recent years, as the international shipping industry imposes increasingly stringent emission limits on vessels, green and low-carbon development in shipbuilding has become a vital direction for the sector's new technological revolution and industrial transformation. Compared to traditional diesel-powered ships, LNG power can drastically cut sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter emissions, while also significantly reducing carbon dioxide output. This trend is increasingly becoming a key path for the transformation and upgrading of China's shipbuilding industry.
The first LNG dual-purpose vessel built in Chizhou, the 'Tuohai Xinyuan', was launched at the Guichi Shipbuilding Industrial Base in August 2025. However, the owner of that vessel was an external enterprise, with the base only serving as the builder. In contrast, the 'Ruihang Qisheng' was fully funded and constructed by Chizhou Hongda Shipping Co., Ltd., achieving a model of "built locally, owned locally, operated locally." It also represents the first new-energy ship project implemented by a local Chizhou enterprise since the introduction of the national subsidy policy for scrapping and updating old operating ships.
The total investment for the 'Ruihang Qisheng' stands at 24.28 million yuan, of which 10.62369 million yuan—over 40% of the total—can be covered by the national subsidy for scrapping and renewing old operating ships. A relevant official from the Chizhou Maritime Center acknowledged that the shipping industry is currently facing a downturn, and many companies remain hesitant about investing in new-energy vessels. "It takes courage to be the first to take the plunge," the official said, adding that policy subsidies were the key incentive, noting that without such strong government backing, most companies would be unlikely to take the risk.
"The national trend is clearly moving toward environmentally friendly and energy-saving new energy, so following the direction of these policies is the right call." Tang Genyi, captain of the 'Ruihang Qisheng', shared in an interview on September 5th. He explained that the handling experience of an LNG vessel is largely the same as a traditional diesel ship, with the main difference being the power source, but the pollutant emissions are much lower. "If I need to update ships in the future, I will definitely choose new energy again."
Since the central government released the policy on scrapping and renewing old operating ships in August 2024, the Chizhou Maritime Center has swiftly established a dedicated task force. It has organized seminars and promotional meetings for local shipping companies, explaining policy terms in detail and addressing questions on subsidy applications and compliance requirements. Concurrently, the center conducted a thorough survey of shipbreaking and renewal needs across the city, encouraging the development of LNG and other new-energy or clean-energy powered vessels. The center also provided full-process tracking services during the project application stage to ensure subsidy funds were secured smoothly.
Positioned as the largest civilian shipbuilding cluster upstream of Nanjing, the Guichi Shipbuilding Industrial Base has shown strong growth momentum in recent years. It currently houses eight shipyards, and its new-energy vessel construction technology is becoming increasingly mature. From January to August 2026, the base completed 17 ships totaling 208,200 deadweight tons, with an order book of 79 ships amounting to 1,334,200 deadweight tons. This includes 25 new-energy vessel orders and 10 foreign trade orders, reflecting a healthy development trend of ample orders, orderly construction, and progress in vessel delivery.
A representative from the Chizhou Transportation Bureau stated that the successful delivery of the 'Ruihang Qisheng' sets a strong example for the high-quality development of water transport in Chizhou. Looking ahead, the city will continue implementing policies to support green shipping, actively promote the adoption of new-energy and clean-energy vessels, and inject "green momentum" into the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.