China to Build World's First Deep-Sea Mining Vessel

Wu Pingshan from Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Co Ltd, which is based in east China's Fujian Province, today said that the contract had been signed with a Singapore company but declined to disclose the name of the contractor, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Wu said the vessel, due to be delivered in 2017, will be 227 meters long by 40 m wide, with living quarters for up to 180 people and a maximum cargo load of 45,000 tonnes.

The vessel with 30 megawatts of power can serve as a platform for seabed mining as deep as 2,500 meters, and will have a helipad.

Founded in 1866, the predecessor of Mawei Shipbuilding was Foochow Arsenal, China's earliest machinery shipbuilding company.

It has now become a share-holding firm able to develop, build and repair vessels.