China delivered the world's first commercial liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) transport ship to its client at a port in Dalian City of northeast China's Liaoning Province on Friday.
The ship was built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co.Ltd.
The ship is 130 meters long and 21 meters wide, and has cargo tanks with a capacity of 7,500 cubic meters. Powered by LNG dual-fuel technology, it could meet the strictest global energy efficiency standards.
"This ship is the first of its kind in the world. The CO2 cargo tanks are made with newly developed steel plate materials. This is our first design and building of a CO2 liquid cargo system, and equipped with many energy-saving and environmentally friendly designs. These factors significantly increased the difficulty of shipbuilding, while also opening a new path in the carbon transport industry," said Gai Yong, manager of the ship project at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd.
The ship will serve Norway's world-first large-scale commercial liquefied CO2 subsea storage project, according to Gai.
CO2 emissions from European industries will be collected and transported by the ship to a CO2 receiving terminal on Norway’s west coast, where the gas will be processed and injected 2,600 meters underground into the ocean for permanent storage.
As the world's first ship dedicated to marine carbon transport and storage, this vessel will play a pioneering role in addressing global CO2 emissions from land-based sources.
China delivers world's first commercial liquefied CO2 transport ship
China urges companies to make independent, interest-aligned business decisions free from external political interference, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday.
Mao's comments came in response to a BBC report on Thursday in which Tadashi Yanai, CEO of Fast Retailing - the parent company of the global clothing brand Uniqlo - stated that the company does not source cotton from China's Xinjiang region.
"Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best in the world. We hope relevant company will overcome political pressure and malign disruption, and independently make business decisions that serve its own interests," Mao said.
Speaking to the BBC in Tokyo, Yanai explained the company's focus on greater transparency regarding the sourcing and manufacturing of its materials, stating that Uniqlo does not use Xinjiang cotton.
However, in a recent interview with Nikkei Asia, Yanai reiterated that production in China remains crucial for the company.
Figures show that as of Oct 31, Uniqlo has 927 stores on the Chinese mainland, more than a third of its total of over 2,500 stores worldwide. Among these, nearly 20 new stores opened in September and October this year - including its first store in Sanya, a tourist city in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Uniqlo's sales revenue in Greater China reached a whopping 677 billion yen (about 4.38 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.2 percent year on year, according to Fast Retailing, Uniqlo's parent company.
China urges firms to eliminate political pressure, make independent decisions: spokeswoman
China urges firms to eliminate political pressure, make independent decisions: spokeswoman
