China made multiple technological breakthroughs in the marine industry this year, witnessing steady throughput growths of domestic ports in July, industrial data showed Wednesday.

Cui Xiaojian, deputy director of the National Marine Information Center under the Ministry of Natural Resources, told China Media Group that the development of China's marine transport remains steady on the whole. 

"The coastal areas have made active efforts to ensure smooth operation of the collection and distribution systems of ports, solving overstocks at ports through diverting land transport to water transport and combining river and ocean transport routes," said Cui.

High-tech driven industry

Thanks to cutting-edge technologies which enable world's first LNG dual-fuel crude oil tanker and China's first offshore oil and gas extraction, the total throughput of ports monitored by the China Ports and Harbours Association (CPHA) rose 8.4 percent year on year in July. 

"Relevant areas have also expanded outbound routes to ensure smooth transport and stable supply chain," said Cui.

In July, the total throughput of ports monitored by the CPHA for foreign trade also climbed 6.3 percent year on year, and the container throughput of eight coastal container hub ports increased by 12.7 percent over one year ago.

Moreover, the Shanghai port and the Ningbo-Zhoushan port, two of the country's largest ports, saw their container throughput up 16.8 percent and 25 percent respectively year on year in July.

World's first LNG dual-fuel crude oil tanker

China State Shipping Corporation (CSSC) delivered the world's first LNG dual-fuel crude oil tanker named Yuan Rui Yang to shipping giant China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) this February. 

The ship uses LNG as the main fuel, and is equipped with LNG dual-fuel main engine, generator and boiler. In gas mode, it has a range of 12,000 nautical miles, while in a dual-fuel mode, the duration of the ship can reach 24,000 nautical miles. The use of clean energy in shipping can help reduce sulfur oxide emission by 99 percent and particulate matter by 98 percent, compared with other oil tankers.

China's first offshore oil and gas extraction facility

China's first indigenously developed offshore oil and gas extraction facility, subsea "Xmas Tree" system, was put into operation in the Yingge Sea, south China's Hainan Province, this July. The system is able to produce about 200 million cubic meters of natural gas per year, according to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The subsea Xmas tree system connects the deep-sea oil well with the transportation pipeline, controlling the volume of oil or gas well during extraction and conducting real-time monitoring. Only five enterprises in the U.S. and Europe have mastered the design and construction of the underwater extraction system. 

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