CHINA DELIVERS A NEW RECORD-BREAKER

The 70,000dwt Indonesia Express is the first in a four-ship series ordered from Chengxi Shipyard by the Nova Group of Singapore and is claimed to be the world’s largest, dedicated woodchip bulker. The mantle was previously held by the same owner’s Batavia Express, constructed in China seven years ago.

The Indonesia Express retains the 215.4m length overall and 37m breadth of the Batavia Express, but has an increased, moulded depth of 25.2m compared to the earlier ship’s 23.95m, to provide a cargo volume of 141,593m3 (approximately 5 million ft3) relative to the 133,243m3 (about 4.7 million ft3) of Batavia Express.

The cargo handling self-sufficiency characteristic of purpose-designed woodchip carriers is expressed in three 36t deck cranes, manufactured by Nantong Dongde Steel Industry Co.

The relatively light bulk cargo, which calls for a deeper hull envelope than conventional bulkers of equivalent deadweight, is primarily used as a raw material for the paper industry in Japan, China and elsewhere. Nova’s fleet, for instance, transports woodchips to paper and pulp mills in Indonesia and China controlled by Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL). The shipowner’s management and operating subsidiary for the group’s chemical tanker and woodchip carrier assets, including the Batavia Express, is Nova Carriers (Singapore).

Indonesia Express is powered by a single 6X52 two-stroke diesel produced in China by Hudong Heavy Machinery under licence from Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD). The engine has been supplied at a rating of 8,780kW at 85rpm, and incorporates low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, whereby the SCR reactor is placed on the low-pressure side after the turbocharger. Direct drive is made to a fixed-pitch screw cast by Wartsila CME Zhenjiang Propeller Co.

The Indonesia Express series from Chengi is expected to be completed over the next several months, with the follow-on newbuilds to sail as the China Express, Brazil Express and Canada Express. The latter names reflect the diversification of woodchip supply away from the original main producer countries in South East Asia.

Japan’s shipbuilding industry, especially Sanoyas and Oshima, provided all dedicated woodchip carrier tonnage for a long period, but Chinese yards have gained traction in the field over the past few years. Nova Carriers provided a valuable platform for the export drive and for serial production when it ordered its previous generation of 4.7 million ft3 vessels from Nantong Minde and Jiangsu Yangzijiang.

Japanese-owned and -operated newbuilds tend to be designed to within the 210-metre overall length limit imposed by Japanese receiving points. Although cargo volume gains have been achieved by taking the beam out to some 37m from the earlier Panama Canal constraint of 32.2m, carrying capacity of the latest ships is typically around 4.3million ft3.

PRINCIPAL PARTICULARS – Indonesia Express