China completes 2 new-generation marine engineering installation vessels

BEIJING -- China's self-developed marine engineering installation vessels Zhigao and Zhiyuan were completed on Sunday in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, according to Science and Technology Daily.

The main tasks of the two vessels are transporting wind turbines to the deep sea and conducting installations. They can operate 100 kilometers offshore, providing strong support for the country's offshore wind power projects.

They are the fourth generation of China's offshore wind power engineering equipment, meaning they have strong wind and wave resistance, excellent comprehensive installation capabilities, and high operating efficiency and intelligence levels, according to the report.

The vessels are capable of installing a set of offshore wind turbines in three days -- 30 percent faster than third-generation equipment, said Zhang Weifeng, chief engineer of an ocean engineering construction company affiliated with PowerChina.

Moreover, they are designed to withstand winds of up to force 16 and waves as high as 12 meters, Zhang said.