Shanghai launches its 1st LNG waste container ship on January 4. [Photo/Kankanews.com]

Shanghai’s waste container ship has become eco-friendly, as the city launched its first domestic solid waste container ship fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) on January 4. 

With a hull painted blue, the vessel built by Shanghai SMI Environmental Industry Co., Ltd. has a white cabin and is 55.6 meters long, 9.98 meters wide and 10 meters tall. With a cargo capacity of 600 tonnes, it can carry as many as 30 TEU (Twenty-feet Equivalent Unit) containers. 

The LNG ship has a cargo capacity of 600 tonnes. [Photo/Kankanews.com]

The first batch of the LNG ships has been completed. They will cruise on the Huangpu River, carrying domestic solid waste containers to waste disposal bases. According to media reports, 36 old-fashioned waste container ships in Shanghai will be gradually replaced by the environmentally-friendly LNG ship model. 

LNG as a ship fuel is a clean energy alternative. It can help significantly reduce the environmental impacts of shipping operations. Besides, it is safe and reliable. LNG has a higher ignition temperature than diesel. It vaporizes rapidly and causes no pollution to the soil or water in the case of a leak.