Fully Independent Intellectual Property Rights! This Luxury RoPax Ferry Integrates Expertise from Multiple Fields

On October 24, the luxury passenger Ro-Ro vessel “GNV Polaris” was named and delivered.

The vessel was jointly developed through collaborative innovation by multiple units under China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). From concept design to contract design, detailed design, and production design, CSSC’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) independently completed the entire design process and construction. CSSC Marine Design & Research Institute carried out the interior and artistic design. The 704 Research Institute provided the shaft generator and anti-rolling fins, the 711 Research Institute supplied China’s first domestically developed marine steam turbine waste heat recovery power generation system, Shaanxi Diesel Heavy Industry provided the generator sets, Zhenjiang Shipyard provided the emergency generator, and CSSC Oasis supplied the anchoring and mooring equipment.

The vessel features fully independent intellectual property rights, with 100% domestically produced interior materials. It has obtained the Biosafe class notation and adopts silicone-based antifouling coatings. After delivery, the vessel will enter service in Europe from January 2025, operating routes across the Mediterranean region.

Demonstrating the Strength of China’s Shipbuilding Industry

Spacious and Efficient

The vessel is a luxury RoPax ferry with a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 3,100 lane meters, with a gross tonnage of approximately 46,000 tons. It features 12 decks and 298 passenger cabins.

With a total lane length of around 3,100 meters and advanced, efficient Ro-Ro equipment, the vessel can rapidly load and unload more than 600 passenger cars or 200 standard 40-foot container trailers.

The ship offers 6,000 square meters of public leisure space for passengers, including self-service restaurants, cafés, observation lounges, pizza shops, duty-free stores, airline-style seating areas, children’s play areas, outdoor bars, and other recreational facilities.

Comfortable and Safe

In terms of vibration and noise control, the vessel meets the latest comfort notation requirements of the Italian classification society RINA. During full-speed operation, noise levels are kept below 55 decibels in accommodation areas and below 60 decibels in public areas.

The vessel is also equipped with dedicated isolation wards, epidemic prevention areas, and specially designed air-conditioning and ventilation systems, providing comprehensive biosafety protection. It is the first luxury RoPax vessel built in China to obtain the latest global Biosafe class notation.

Green and Environmentally Friendly

The vessel’s main engines are equipped with low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, meeting the requirements of the RINA Green Plus notation. It is also fitted with two U-type exhaust gas cleaning systems, reducing sulfur oxide content in emissions to below 0.1%.

In addition, the vessel features an independently developed Chinese steam turbine generator system with a power output of 900 kW, which effectively recovers and reuses waste heat from the main engines, helping the vessel achieve a high energy efficiency index.

The underwater straight sections of the hull bottom and flat bottom areas are coated with a new generation of environmentally friendly silicone antifouling paint. Free from biocides, the coating helps protect the marine environment while significantly reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.