A 10,000-ton self-propelled deck barge built by CCCC First Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. has been launched.

On August 10, in the West Port Garden of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, a ten-thousand-ton giant vessel slowly slid into the water. The 12,000-ton self-propelled deck barge built by CCCC First Harbor Engineering Company will be exported to West Africa, marking another achievement in China's overseas customized engineering vessel export sector.

The vessel is 115.98 meters long, 28 meters wide, with a molded depth of 7.6 meters and a full-load draft of 5.54 meters, precisely tailored to meet the actual transportation needs of tropical coastal mining areas such as West Africa. Currently, West African mining area ports generally feature shallow drafts, narrow channels, and complex water flows, making it difficult for ordinary large bulk carriers to operate flexibly. The construction of the ten-thousand-ton self-propelled deck barge by CCCC First Harbor Engineering Company for export to West Africa is a vivid practice of China-Guinea capacity cooperation under the "Belt and Road" framework—leveraging China's equipment manufacturing capabilities to precisely meet West Africa's resource development needs and providing autonomous and controllable equipment support for overseas mineral transportation.

In response to the special operating environment of West African mining areas, CCCC First Harbor Engineering Company carried out comprehensive optimizations. First, "dual engines, dual rudders + side thrusters" ensure smooth operation in narrow waters. The vessel adopts a power configuration of "dual main engines, dual shafts, dual rudders + bow side thrusters," enabling the ten-thousand-ton vessel to maneuver flexibly and dock precisely in narrow ports and complex water flow conditions, significantly reducing reliance on external tugboats and improving port operation efficiency. Second, the ultra-large deck area ensures efficient and convenient loading and unloading. The vessel features a flat deck measuring 91.2 meters × 23.8 meters, with an area exceeding 2,000 square meters. Bulk cargo such as bauxite and iron ore can be directly stacked, and it is also compatible with the transportation of large steel structures, achieving a "load-and-go" efficient operation mode that fully adapts to the fast-paced transfer demands of West African mining areas. Third, the cost-effective solution helps shipowners reduce costs and increase efficiency. Through optimized design and the use of mature and reliable domestic power systems, the vessel meets the stringent standards of the French classification society while effectively controlling construction cycles and costs, providing shipowners with highly competitive transportation solutions.

Currently, the vessel has safely docked at the port and is about to undergo subsequent mooring and navigation trials.