A China-developed pile-driving vessel, the world's largest of its kind, set sail on the morning of Feb 17 from Qidong in Jiangsu province, East China, for a railway bridge construction site, according to China Science and Technology Daily.

The vessel "Erhang Changqing" is en route to the construction site of the Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Railway Bridge, which is a crucial segment of the Nantong-Suzhou-Jiaxing-Ningbo High Speed Railway, said the newspaper.

The vessel features the world's highest derrick at the stern, with the largest piling capacity. It will play a role in the construction of large ports, cross-sea bridges, offshore wind power and other projects in the future, said the newspaper.

The vessel is equipped with a 150-meter-high derrick, capable of handling piles weighing up to 700 tonnes.

Built by the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd, the vessel was delivered in Jiangsu in January, marking a milestone in the country's marine engineering equipment manufacturing industry.