On February 22, Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), kicked off of a 300-passenger ro-pax vessel.
The ro-pax vessel was designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI) and built for Xiamen Mintai Ferry Co., Ltd. It fully integrates the technical characteristics of GSI’s “green intelligence, energy saving and emission”.
The 300-passenger ro-pax vessel is 180 meters long, 25.8 meters wide, service speed is 20 knots, with a capacity of 426 standard containers, and is classified by China Classification Society (CCS).
It can carry passengers, cars, heavy-duty vehicles, container trailers, ro-ro cargo, containers and refrigerated containers, etc. It features modernized energy-saving and environmentally friendly features. In terms of interior design, it is proposed to be rich in distinctive regional culture and highly characterized by Fujian and Taiwan.
With joint shares held by COSCO Shipping (Xiamen) Co., Ltd, Xiamen ITG Holding Group Co., Ltd and Xiamen International Cruise Home Port Group Co., Ltd, Xiamen Mintai Ferry is the first state-owned shipping enterprise in Xiamen to operate cross-strait ferry services directly across the Taiwan Straits. Its main business is to operate cross-strait passenger and ro-ro transportation routes across the Taiwan Strait, mainly including: Xiamen-Taichung, Xiamen-Keelung, and Zhejiang-Damaiyu-Keelung, Zhejiang Damaiyu-Taichung routes.
It is understood that the new ro-pax vessel will be mainly operated on Xiamen-Taiwan route for short voyage, which is expected to be ready for operation in the second half of 2025, and it will be involved in the operation of direct flight routes to and from Taiwan.
With more than 20 years of experience in the field of luxury ro-ro vessels, GSI is the shipbuilder with the largest number of orders for luxury ro-ro vessels delivered in the world. Among them, GSI also built four 1,200-passenger ro-ro vessels, two 1,300-passenger ro-ro vessels and two multi-purpose ro-ro cargo vessels for COSCO SHIPPING Lines.
