MV Tian Kun Hao

MV Tian Kun Hao is a Chinese dredger that has been described variously as “Asia’s most powerful island maker” and "magic island maker" due to its capability to dig 6,000 cubic metres per hour of sand/silt. The ship was launched at Qidong in Jiangsu province in November 2017. The ship is apparently named after "a legendary enormous fish which can turn into a mythical bird".

Design

Length = 140m
Beam width = 28m
Designer = Tianjin Dredging Co., a subsidiary of the China Communications Construction Company
Dredging depth = 35m
Discharge distance = 15 km

Purpose

Various sources have speculated that the ship will be used for island building in the area of the South China Sea claimed by China and for possible use in areas of territorial disputes with countries including Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.