The world's largest vehicle carrier ship powered by photovoltaic(PV)energy,the"Yuanhai Kou"vessel from China COSCO Shipping Corporation,successfully completed its maiden voyage,docking at the car carrier terminal of Piraeus Port in Greece with 4,000 domestically produced Chinese vehicles on board,Science and Technology Daily reported on Friday.

The vessel is equipped with a shipborne PV system with a peak power of 302.8 kilowatts,the largest of its kind for similar vessels.It generates 410,000 kWh of electricity annually,with a lifecycle carbon intensity approximately 35 percent lower than that of traditional ships,according to the report.

The"Yuanhai Kou"measures 199.9 meters in total length,with a gross tonnage of 68,252 tons and a displacement of 39,069 tons.It features 12 vehicle decks,including eight fixed decks and four movable decks,with a loading capacity of 7,000 standard car parking spaces.It can carry all types of vehicles such as passenger cars,engineering vehicles,and buses.

The vessel is powered by a dual-fuel main engine using liquefied natural gas(LNG)and fuel oil,achieving 20 percent energy savings and over 24 percent carbon reduction compared to traditional fuel-powered ships.For a typical round-trip voyage from China to Europe,it can reduce carbon emissions by 2,100 tons per trip,the report said.

The vessel employs COSCO Shipping's independently developed,China's first real-time loading software for car and truck carrier ships for real-time vehicle positioning and fire early warning,ensuring the safe transport of new-energy vehicles overseas,per the report.