Chinese Shipbuilders Develop Cutting-Edge Propulsion Technology

One of China’s shipbuilding giants claims it has developed breakthrough propulsion technology that will modernize shipping and naval fleets, reports China Daily.

“Chinese ships usually use steam engines, multiple-stroke diesel engines or gas turbine engines. Chinese navy ships that need to reach fast speeds would have ‘combined diesel or gas’ propulsion systems,” said Wang Dan, deputy editor-in-chief of Modern Ships magazine.

He also said that the new technology is easier to operate and maintain.

“Now with the achievement made by our technicians, we are seeing an opportunity to narrow the gap with Western naval powers. The British navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and the United States navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers, which are all under construction, will use the new electric propulsion technology, which means we must accelerate our development (of the technology) if we don’t want to fall behind in building advanced ships,” he said.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth, scheduled to begin sea trials in 2017, will be the first carrier in the world to adopt integrated electric propulsion.

China Shipbuilding Industry Corp said in February that one of its research institutions got State approval and funding to start research on core technologies for nuclear-powered ships.

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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, August 21, 2013