Tech & Sci
20:41, 21-Sep-2017
China building world's first deep-sea mining vessel
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The world's first deep-sea mining vessel, currently under construction by a Chinese shipping firm, is expected to be put into use in 2018.
The vessel is being made by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding (FMS), a company affiliated with Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group, and is designed to operate at a depth of 2,500 meters.
The vessel measures 227 meters in length and 75 meters in height, and will integrate advanced technologies, including deep-sea mining robots, a deep-sea lift system, a water-storage system and a cargo-loading system.
The world's first deep-sea mining vessel is expected to be put into use in 2018. /Xinhua Photo
The world's first deep-sea mining vessel is expected to be put into use in 2018. /Xinhua Photo
It will provide living and working space for 200 people and can store up to 39,000 tonnes of ore.
The main body of the ship is basically completed and supporting equipment has arrived.
The company received the order in 2014, and has been cooperating with a design enterprise from Singapore to build the vessel for a company from the United Arab Emirates since then.
The vessel costs about 500 million US dollars and will be delivered to a Canadian mining company to explore deep-sea metal ore in the West Pacific.
China plans to master key skills in the commercial collection of natural gas hydrate in sea areas by 2020.
Source(s): Xinhua News Agency