China's first domestically built large-scale floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility departed along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River early on Monday as it heads towards Zhoushan City in east China's Zhejiang Province for follow-up outfitting work.
The Nguya FLNG, which will be deployed in the waters off the Republic of Congo upon its completion, measures 376 meters long, 60 meters wide, and stands over 61 meters above the waterline. The facility can directly liquefy and store extracted natural gas at deep sea and will be able to process more than 10 million cubic meters of natural gas per day when at full capacity.
The significant scale of the Nguya -- which takes its name from a word in the Congolese Lingala language meaning 'energy' -- was highlighted by the sizable fleet which was utilized to transport it. With one high-powered tugboat leading from the front and four other vessels flanking from the sides, the towing operation also set a new record for the Yangtze River, with the fleet stretching for a total length of 705 meters.
To ensure the safe passage of this huge facility, maritime authorities dispatched 10 patrol boats, three warning boats, and three drones to oversee the operation as it made its way down the Yangtze River.
A floating LNG facility represents one of the most advanced engineering in oceanic natural gas infrastructure, with only five of such units currently in operation worldwide.
China's first large-scale floating LNG facility sets sail for installation phase
China will roll out a series of targeted measures to stabilize investment and unlock greater space for private capital, an official said on Thursday.
Chen Changsheng, deputy director of the State Council Research Office who participated in the drafting of this year's Government Work Report, made the statement at a press briefing held in Beijing.
He noted that China will leverage the guiding role of government funding and the driving effect of major projects to shore up investment.
Total government investment this year is set to exceed five trillion yuan (about 725 billion U.S. dollars), which will come from central budget investment and local government special bonds for major national strategies and security capacity building projects and equipment upgrades. Meanwhile, 109 major projects have been planned in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
China will also stimulate investment by opening up more application scenarios for businesses.
On the traditional front, a long-term mechanism will be improved to encourage private enterprises to participate in major national projects. For emerging sectors, China will further open scenarios in biomedicine, aerospace, and the low-altitude economy.
"Low-altitude economy has developed rapidly in recent years, with sound applications seen in fields such as agriculture, forestry plant protection, as well as surveying and inspection. Going forward, we will accelerate the opening of airspace resources and streamline approval procedures for low-altitude flights. This will unlock new scenarios including low-altitude logistics and urban management. Similar new opportunities can also be found in service robots and other sectors, all of which will create new space for private investment," Chen said.
By deepening reforms to further unlock investment potential, China will ease market access in the service sector, speed up revisions to the Bidding Law and the Government Procurement Law, and advance price reforms to broaden investment access for more enterprises.
"We will see a new round of investment potential unleashed. Major projects including the national water network, a new round of power grid upgrades, new generation communication networks, and computing power networks will drive massive investment, including demand from urban development. In addition, the campaign this year to expand and upgrade the service sector and the development of emerging industries will further expand space for private investment," Chen noted.
China to take measures to boost investment, expand space for private investment in 2026: official
