BOXSHIP TONNAGE FOR US FRUIT TRADE

The 195-metre Dole Maya provides for up to 919 reefer boxes of 40ft within an overall slot capacity of about 2,500TEU (20ft equivalent units). Set to be commissioned this month into the group’s scheduled service linking the Central American isthmus with the US market, the 28,750dwt fully-cellular vessel was constructed by CSSC Chengxi Shipyard, where second-of-class Dole Aztec is approaching completion and April handover.

Contracted just over two years ago, the new generation is powered by an IMO Tier III-compliant diesel propulsion installation and fitted with multi-inlet scrubber plant. The main engine is a seven-cylinder model of the MAN long-stroke G60ME-C type, with direct drive to fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 19.5 knots, while the especially high electrical load characteristic of a reefer boxship is covered by four gensets based on MAN 7L27/38 medium-speed diesels.

Through the combination of improved technologies and operational changes, the company is looking to the newbuilds to realise reductions in NOx, SOx and CO² emissions per reefer unit on US Gulf service by the measure of 63%, 49% and 48%, respectively.

Dole’s varied fleet, husbanded by its San Jose, Costa Rica-based company Reefer Management Services (RMS), consists of both conventional refrigerated pallet vessels and all-container reeferships. As an organisation that manages and maintains its own supply chain, ocean transport is seen as a positive differentiator for Dole, contributing to continuous improvement goals as regards operational efficiencies and carbon footprint reductions and thereby influencing final product competitiveness and standard.

The company addressed IMO 2020 sulphur limits by implementing scrubbers on existing vessels as well as specifying SeaSOx units from the Austrian specialist Andritz for the newbuild programme. With an overall footprint of about 7.1m x 4.1m, the hybrid scrubber fitted in Dole Maya is the largest installed to date by Chengxi Shipyard, designed to treat the exhaust gas stream not only from the main engine but also the four auxiliaries. The equipment comprises the bypass(U-type) scrubber tower, pumps, separator, heat exchanger, valves, NaOH (caustic soda) dosing skid, continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS), instrumentation and controls.

As a further strand of energy efficiency planning, Dole also ordered 500 Star Cool reefer boxes for its fleet from Maersk Container Industry (MCI), working in cooperation with leasing firm Textainer. Star Cool’s AV+ system allows fresh air intake to be controlled by a pre-selected maximum level of CO² inside the container. This maximises delivered cargo freshness of bananas and other fruit, vegetables and flowers as vessels traverse the tropics. Dole Maya had been due to load the consignment of Chinese-made cargo units from the port of Qingdao on her positioning run to the Americas.

A lattice of lashing bridges extends the new ship’s cellular containment above deck, and the entire cargo section can be worked by three centreline-mounted cranes.

The previous stage of Dole fleet renewal had entailed three 190-metre reefer boxships of the Dole Pacific class, delivered by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) between November 2015 and May 2016. Each of the trio accommodates up to 770 reefer FEUs within an all-up slot capacity of 2,000TEU, and is self-sustaining by way of two 40t deck gantry cranes.

Dole is the world’s largest producer of bananas and pineapples, and an industry leader in fresh vegetables, packaged salads and other goods.

PRINCIPAL PARTICULARS – Dole Maya