The vessel New Aden, the world's first wind-assisted very large crude carrier equipped with two pairs of rigid wing sails, made its first berth at the oil terminal of Qingdao Port, a subsidiary of Shandong Port Group, on July 3. This represents the second eco-friendly oil tanker to dock at Qingdao Port since 2025, highlighting the port's commitment to accommodating energy-efficient vessels and promoting sustainable offshore energy transportation.

The tanker has an overall length of 333 meters, a molded width of 60 meters and a molded depth of 30 meters. It has a designed draft of 20.5 meters and can carry 300,000 metric tons of crude oil. This positions the tanker as a global leader in overall performance, emerging as an example of a new generation of energy-saving vessels.

New Aden berths at Qingdao Port. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

To ensure the vessel's safe and efficient docking, Qingdao Port worked closely with relevant institutions to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of the berthing operations. They considered recent hydrological and meteorological data to develop and refine berthing plans and emergency response measures. Due to these collaborative efforts, the oil tanker successfully berthed and started unloading operations at the port.

Looking ahead, Qingdao Port plans to focus on green and low-carbon transition, leverage technological innovation to modernize traditional industries, and accelerate its journey towards becoming an industry-leading benchmark for smart and green port development.