In order to adapt to the awful sea conditions, many improvements were made to Tiankun. The weight of its bridge rack is up to 1600 tons, which enables mining of high-strength rock. The bridge rack is equipped with the world's largest wave compensation system to ensure the construction safety of the ship in storms. The three-cable positioning system on board can stand 4 meter high waves.

Independent innovation key to dredging weapons

Tianjing has taken the first step in the localization of large-scale dredging equipment in China, and has made breakthroughs in independent innovation. It is the first heavy-duty self-propelled cutter suction dredger designed and built by China with complete independent intellectual property rights.

Fei Long, deputy chief engineer of the 708th Institute of the China Shipbuilding Corporation, said that the appearance of Tiankun signifies that China is able to independently design and build a new generation of heavy-duty self-propelled cutter suction dredgers.

Heavy-duty dredgers are basic equipment for high-tech and capital-intensive countries. Before the appearance of Tianjing the proportion of imported heavy-duty dredgers in China was as high as 89%.

Zhou Jingbo, chairman of China Jiaofa Dredging (Group) Co., Ltd., said that only by achieving the independent design and construction of heavy-duty dredgers will China be able to control the dredging of watercourses, excavation of waterways, and independence of construction in territorial seas.