Nation launches mighty new 'island-maker'

China has launched Asia's largest and most advanced cutter-suction dredger, which can further enhance the nation's capability in land reclamation.

The Tiankun was moved on Friday to waters off a shipyard at Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Qidong Marine Engineering Co in Jiangsu province. Its construction started in early 2016 and will be completed in June, according to a statement sent to China Daily by the Marine Design and Research Institute in Shanghai, the ship's designer.

Engineers will test and finetune equipment already installed on the electrically powered, self-propelled vessel and continue installing other devices. Then the ship will conduct mooring and sailing tests before being commissioned to China Communications Construction Co's Tianjin Dredging Co, it said.