The Beihai Jiu 151 marine rescue vessel joins the Ministry of Transport’s Beihai Rescue Bureau in Yantai, East China’s Shandong Province, on September 21. Photo: CNS

China’s domestically designed and built 4,000-kilowatt marine rescue vessel, the Beihai Jiu 151, officially joined the fleet of the Ministry of Transport’s Beihai Rescue Bureau in Yantai, East China’s Shandong Province on Monday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported. 

The vessel is the first medium-sized marine rescue vessel in China’s northern waters, purpose-built for local maritime conditions, with all its core equipment domestically produced, according to CCTV. 

The vessel’s commissioning aims to strengthen the modern maritime emergency rescue network, close gaps in rescue capabilities in China’s northern waters and provide stronger support for lifesaving and emergency response at sea, CCTV reported. 

Designed by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute and built by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company, the vessel was launched on April 9. 

Developed and designed on the basis of the Donghai Jiu 151 rescue vessel, the Beihai Jiu 151 addressed new requirements and emerging scenarios in maritime rescue operations, with enhanced capabilities for operating in icy waters. It is primarily intended for lifesaving and vessel rescue in shallow waters, including coastal waterways and areas around islands and reefs, while also being capable of carrying out rescue missions in rough sea conditions, eworldship.com reported. 

The 69.5-meter-long, 14.6-meter-wide vessel, with a designed draft of 4.4 meters, can accommodate up to 100 rescued people, chinanews.com reported on Monday. 

Built to the B2 Ice Class strengthening standard, the vessel can navigate and conduct rescue operations in moderate ice conditions in Bohai Bay. Its shallow draft also allows it to access to port channels, island waterways and nearshore aquaculture areas inaccessible to larger rescue vessels, according to chinanews.com. 

In addition, the vessel can carry out three-point anchoring, providing a stable platform for diving operations. It is also equipped with a new type of unmanned rescue boat that can be used for diving training, search-and-rescue operations along designated routes and other missions in addition to conventional rescue capabilities such as oil-spill response and firefighting.

All of the vessel’s core equipment, including generators, propulsion systems, thrusters and towing winches, is domestically manufactured, according to chinanews.com.

In addition to the Beihai Jiu 151, another 4,000-kilowatt medium-sized marine rescue vessel, the Nanhai Jiu 151, was officially delivered to the Ministry of Transport’s Nanhai Rescue Bureau on May 28 this year and placed on standby for maritime emergencies in China’s southern waters. 

Global Times