World’s Largest Piling Vessel “Erhang Changqing” Successfully Delivered

　　On January 5th, the “Erhang Changqing” piling vessel, invested by CCCC Second Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd. and built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, was successfully delivered in Jiangsu. This vessel boasts of the world’s tallest piling vessel with the highest piling capacity, the longest pile-driving length, and the strongest resistance to wind and waves. Its delivery marks a new milestone for China’s marine engineering equipment manufacturing industry.

　　World’s Largest Piling Vessel “Erhang Changqing”Photo Courtesy CCCC Second Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd.

　　In large-scale bridge construction and offshore wind power projects, the installation of steel pipes into the seabed to establish pile foundations is a critical task typically carried out by piling vessels. The “Erhang Changqing” vessel, currently the largest of its kind globally, measures 130.5 meters in length, 40.8 meters in width, and 8.4 meters in depth. It is equipped with a piling frame that reaches 150 meters in height and has the capability to drive pile foundations weighing up to 700 tons with a maximum diameter of 7 meters. The piling vessel comprises three main components: the hull, the piling frame, and the hydraulic cylinders. The hull serves as the platform, the piling frame provides structural support, and the hydraulic cylinders supply the power for the tilting and angular adjustments of the piling frame. The operation of these hydraulic cylinders plays a pivotal role in the vessel’s functionality, effectively serving as its "heart." The key hydraulic components were developed under the leadership of CCCC Second Harbour Engineering, achieving domestically produced ultra-large and ultra-long hydraulic cylinders with independent and controllable core technologies.

　　Compared to traditional piling vessels, this vessel features a more environmentally friendly and intelligent design. Additionally, this vessel utilizes a DC bus supercapacitor energy storage system, which stabilizes power grid fluctuations through peak shaving and valley filling, leveraging supercapacitors and storage batteries. Paired with high-efficiency permanent magnet motors for hoisting, it offers superior fuel efficiency over conventional diesel-powered vessels while significantly reducing carbon emissions.