China has started construction of the world's largest roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ship in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, according to reports from Chinese state media.

The said ship is 238 meters long and 34 meters wide, with a design draft of 7.2 meters, a speed of 20.8 knots (38.52 kilometers per hour), and a deadweight of 17,000 tons, Global Times said.

It said the ro-ro ship is equipped with a 7-level vehicle deck with a lane length of 7,800 meters, which is 1,100 meters longer than the current largest ro-ro ship lane in the world, and can carry 535 heavy-duty trailers and all kinds of trucks and minibuses, with a maximum load tonnage of 90 tons per vehicle.

The report added that the ship is jointly designed by Jinling Shipyard and Marine Equipment and Technology Institute of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology. 

"The construction of the ship also marks the first time for the 82 kW solar photovoltaic system being put in operation in China, which will effectively save energy and adopt a number of energy-saving and environmental protection measures to meet the demand of continuous development of ro-ro vessels," it added, noting that the first six vessels can generate over US$400 million in foreign exchange after delivery.