The Juanyang 1 sand-dredging boat. [File photo: Xinhua]

The biggest sand-dredging boat in Asia and one of the world's most advanced, the Junyang 1, was completed and handed over to Guangzhou Harbor on October 10, the China News Agency reports.

Junyang 1 was constructed by the Guangzhou Dredging Company Limited (GDC), a subsidiary of the China Communications Construction Company, in the Netherlands, at a cost of 160 million euros (176 million US dollars).

The jumbo-sized boat can dredge approximately 20 thousand cubic meters of sand an hour with its rakes reaching as deep as 90 meters under the sea. Only three crew members are needed to operate the boat, as it is equipped with a self-control system.

One of Junyang 1's first projects, is the construction of Colombo Port City project, a "one belt, one road" cooperation project between China and Sri Lanka, Wang Bohuan, the chairman of GDC said.

The Juanyang 1 sand-dredging boat. [File photo: Xinhua]