First Domestically Built Icebreaker Launched in Shanghai

Source：chinadaily.com.cn Published：2018-09-11 09:26

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

At around 3:30 pm Monday, China's first home-grown icebreaker was launched from a shipyard in Shanghai, a further step toward its first scientific expedition to Antarctica next year.

The vessel – 122.5 meters in length and 22.3 meters in width – was officially named on Monday Xuelong 2, literally translated as Snow Dragon 2.

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

"By today, we have about 92 percent of key equipment installed and a ship outfitting rate of 72 percent," said Zhang Wenlong, deputy chief of the vessel's construction project from Jiangnan Shipyard.

According to Zhang, there are a series of key tasks lying ahead, including mooring tests of its main engine and electric propulsion system, as well as receiving the ship seaworthy license.

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhang expected Snow Dragon 2 to be delivered in the first half of 2019, which means it can join the nation's sole existing icebreaker Xuelong to conduct scientific research missions in polar areas.

Compared with the nation's sole icebreaker Xuelong, the new vessel will have a much improved performance, such as the ability to break ice with both its bow and stern in an environment with 1.5-meter-thick ice together with 0.2-meter-thick snow, and it is capable of carrying out scientific exploration that ranges up in the sea surface to down to the sea bottom, Zhang said.

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition, the icebreaker also provides comfortable and practical living and lab space for the 90 people on board.

"We've encountered many obstacles during the construction program, such as the 114 sections the hull is divided into, each of which is completed by our best welders," Zhang said.

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

The engineer added the completion of such a project cannot be realized without precise planning and scientific engineering management, as well as the consistent monitoring and correction during the construction.

China launches its first domestically built research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, at a shipyard on Changxing Island, Shanghai on Sept 10, 2018. [Photo by He Qi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Editor：Zhao Hanqing