China's largest independently developed and constructed offshore floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, NGUYA, set sail from Qidong, Nantong, on Aug 26.

China's largest independently developed and constructed offshore FLNG facility, NGUYA, set sail from Qidong, Nantong, on Aug 26. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The NGUYA FLNG, a collaboration between Wison New Energies Co and Italy's Eni Group, measures 376 meters in length, 60 meters in width, and 35 meters in depth. It has an annual LNG production capacity of 2.4 million metric tons and will be deployed off the coast of Pointe-Noire, Congo (Brazzaville).

As a powerful tool for exploring marine natural gas resources, FLNG is hailed as the "new jewel in the crown" of the shipbuilding and offshore engineering industry.

Wison New Energies is the sole company in China capable of handling the engineering, procurement, and construction of FLNG projects, with a proven track record of successful deliveries. Since establishing a presence in Nantong in 2004, the company has developed two large offshore engineering construction bases along the river and coast.

With the company's leading expertise and the highly integrated supply chain system in the Yangtze River Delta region, the NGUYA FLNG project took only 33 months from contract signing to the facility's departure.

In recent years, Nantong has capitalized on its regional strengths to foster and expand marine industries. By developing a modern marine industrial system, the city has prioritized three key sectors: marine equipment, advanced materials, and new energy.

Nowadays, the shipbuilding and offshore engineering sector of Nantong has attracted a number of leading domestic and international companies.

The city has delivered projects such as a 24,000-TEU (Twenty-feet Equivalent Unit) container ship, a polar expedition cruise ship, and an intelligent floating, production, storage, and offloading vessel, earning recognition as a national advanced manufacturing cluster.