The newly delivered Fanzhou 7 has completed its maiden commercial voyage with 132 EN156 wind turbine blades on board, setting a new record for the highest number of blades loaded on a single ship.
The vessel departed from Qidong Lvsi Tongyang Terminal for India. The loading operation was completed in 58 hours, equal to an average of 55 blades per day, despite the safety and precision requirements involved in handling ultra-long blades.
Built by Qidong Xiangyu Marine Equipment for Jiangsu Fanzhou Shipping, Fanzhou 7 is a 55,000 DWT multipurpose self-propelled heavy-lift deck carrier developed for wind energy equipment transport. Construction started in early 2025, the vessel was launched on 22 September 2025, and the naming and delivery ceremony took place in January 2026. It also set a domestic record as the heaviest ship launched using airbag technology.
A central feature of the vessel is its cargo deck. Fanzhou 7 has an effective deck area of 230 m by 51 m, or 11,700 m², and was designed for blades longer than 120 m or monopiles. The vessel can carry up to 55,000 DWT and support concentrated loads of more than 1,000 t. Its open deck arrangement, reinforced plating and pre-engineered lashing interfaces supported efficient blade stacking and securing during the 58-hour loading operation.
- Effective deck area: 230m × 51m (11,700 m²)
- Designed for 120m+ blades or monopiles
- Maximum deck load: 55,000 DWT
- Capable of supporting 1,000+ tonne concentrated loads
To manage stability during cargo operations, the vessel is fitted with large-capacity ballast tanks, automated ballast adjustment and independent zoned control. This configuration enables precise trim and heel correction during loading and unloading of high-windage deck cargo.
The ship also features PR-2 redundant propulsion with two independent propulsion units, redundancy protection against power loss, optimised low-speed torque for heavy transport and an endurance of 16,000 nautical miles, making it suitable for long-haul renewable cargo routes.
The EN156 blades on board are intended for Envision Energy’s EN-156/3.3 MW onshore intelligent wind turbine, part of the company’s “Super Perception” platform. According to publicly available data cited in the source material, cumulative installations of the EN-156/3.3 MW model in India exceeded 2.5 GW by mid-October 2025, while the order backlog was above 16 GW.
