Marine Environment Cleanup Ship ‘Changwon Nubiho Collection and Transport Vessel’ Officially Launched

Changwon Special City Contributes to Marine Environment Conservation

On the afternoon of the 13th, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held a launching ceremony for the marine environmental cleanup vessel ‘Changwon Nubiho’ at Masanhang Pier No. 2. The vessel will patrol 313 km along the coastal waters of Changwon City to collect and transport marine debris.

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held a launching ceremony for the marine environmental cleanup ship 'Changwon Nubiho'.

About 100 people attended the event, including Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Kim I-geun, Chairman of the Changwon Special City Council, Kang Yong-beom, Vice Chairman of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, Myung No-heon, Director of Masan Regional Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office, provincial and city council members, and heads of related organizations. The ceremony proceeded in the order of the national anthem, progress report, presentation of nameplates and plaques of appreciation, commemorative and congratulatory speeches, ribbon cutting, and boarding inspection.

The Changwon Nubiho project secured a budget of 7.5 billion KRW (50% national funds, 15% provincial funds, 35% city funds). The construction plan was established in April 2020, followed by basic and detailed design from December 2020 to June 2021. Construction began in November 2021, the vessel’s name was selected in August 2022, the launching ceremony was held in December 2022, and construction was completed in March 2023, culminating in the launching ceremony.

The vessel is the first in Gyeongnam to be built with a hybrid system under the eco-friendly ship supply project. It has a gross tonnage of 99 tons, is made of steel, and measures 23.5 meters in length, 8 meters in width, and 3.1 meters in depth. Equipped with two 725-horsepower engines, it can reach a maximum speed of 10 knots (approximately 18 km/h) and accommodate up to 10 people. For island areas where docking is difficult, a small boat carried on board will be used to access work sites.

The main mission of Changwon Nubiho is to patrol island areas to collect and transport abandoned marine debris such as discarded Styrofoam and fishing nets. During periods of harmful marine organism outbreaks, it will conduct surveillance, prevention activities, and support eradication efforts.

It will also be actively deployed for continuous monitoring to prevent marine oil pollution, respond to accidents by assessing the situation and supporting containment operations, and transport essential goods to island residents, thereby supporting marine environment protection and public services.

Mayor Hong said, “Our seas are continuously threatened by pollution and climate change. Although we all face marine environmental challenges, if Changwon Nubiho diligently patrols every corner of our coastal waters to preserve the marine environment, we will soon advance further in addressing marine environmental issues and become one of the world’s top four beautiful harbors as a central city in Northeast Asia.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.