GREAT LAKES YARD LANDS SELF-UNLOADER

The twin-engined, River-class bulker is due to be completed in mid 2022 and will be deployed in the transport of raw materials throughout the Great Lakes region. Headquartered in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, family-owned Interlake Steamship serves steelmakers, power generation companies, aggregate suppliers and users, and other sectors. It controls the largest privately-held US-flag fleet on the Lakes, currently consisting of nine vessels, the youngest of which dates from 1981.

With main dimensions of 198.4m (639ft) length, 23.8m (78ft) width and 13.7m (45ft) depth, and equipped with bow and stern thrusters and a flap rudder, the vessel affords a high degree of operational flexibility, allowing manoeuvrability at tight berths and through restricted channels such as the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. The newbuild will feature what is described as a unique hold arrangement and hatch covers conceived to achieve maximum cubic volume and ensure the capability for handling difficult cargoes. The self-unloading boom conveyor will be pivoted forward.

The design project is a joint endeavour of the shipowner, the shipbuilding contractor and marine technical consultancy Bay Engineering of Sturgeon Bay.

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is an operating unit of Fincantieri Marine Group, the US division of the Italian-owned Fincantieri organisation. The Sturgeon Bay yard is no stranger to Interlake: “We’ve had a long and positive relationship of partnering with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding as we have modernised and reinvested heavily in our fleet,” said Interlake’s president Mark W.Barker. “They have skilfully handled four repowers, five exhaust gas scrubber installations, as well as regular maintenance and regulatory drydockings on our vessels,” he added. Sturgeon Bay is a winter lay-up and maintenance point for Lakers.

Through the retrofit programme, Interlake was the first US-flag fleet to implement scrubber technology.

The new addition to the fleet will meet exacting emission limits, achieving IMO Tier III and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 certification through recourse to home-grown two-stroke, medium-speed diesel technology from Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). Two 16-cylinder EMD710 engines will produce some 5,800kW (7,800shp) to drive a single Kongsberg controllable pitch propeller.

Electrical power requirements will be met by two 2,500kW shaft generators, one 940kW diesel genset and a 274kW emergency generator.

Fincantieri Bay’s more recent newbuild workload has entailed smaller classes of vessel, and the Interlake order underscores its broader capabilities and will generate substantial business for partnering contractors, vendors and suppliers. With regard to the ‘local’ placement of the project, Mark W. Barker observed “We live and work in the Great Lakes region, and promoting growth and the positive economic impact of Great Lakes shipping is integral to our mission and vision as a leader in this industry.”