Close-up of Xin Xiang Li 55. [Photo/www.wifizs.cn]

Xin Xiang Li 55, the world's largest ultra-low-temperature refrigerated cargo ship built and invested by Zhejiang Xinxingli International Shipping, a company based in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, was delivered on Oct 27.

The vessel will head to the South Pacific fishing grounds to provide cold storage, supply replenishment, and personnel transfer services for Zhoushan's distant-water fishing fleet.

The vessel measures 143.49 meters in length, with a deadweight tonnage of about 9,000 metric tons and a refrigerated cargo space of around 11,500 cubic meters.  The vessel is part of a two-ship project, each costing about 160 million yuan ($22.5 million). Its sister ship, Xin Xiang Li 56, was delivered in July and is already operating in the South Pacific. The shipbuilder, Zhoushan Ningshing Ship Building & Repairing, customized the refrigeration system with food-grade decks and stainless-steel ceilings to maintain stable temperatures of minus 55 C.

Ultra-low-temperature reefers play a vital role in supporting high-quality distant-water fisheries. While ordinary refrigerated vessels operate at about minus 20 C, they are insufficient for preserving premium seafood such as deep-sea squid and tuna.

Since 2023, Zhoushan has encouraged local enterprises to enhance their capacity for distant-water transport. As of 2024, the city has built 22 new transport vessels, boosting its annual offshore fishery transport capacity by more than 200,000 tons.