NEW BREED OF DUTCH SHORT-SEA TRADER

The 5,875dwt Lady Marie Christine went down the ways at Wuhu Shipyard on August 25, displaying a form optimised for efficient all-weather performance and cargo carrying versatility in Europe’s northern and western littoral waters.

The design reflects the primary intended trading role in the shipment of paper, pulp and other forest products, with the added capability to transport project cargo on the flush deck or in open-top, hatchcoverless mode. The positioning of the superstructure at the bow improves open-top sailing conditions. Furthermore, the forward location of bridge and accommodation, and the arrangement of the low-profile funnel casing on the starboard quarter, maximises deck stowage space and lo-lo access to the single hold.

The hull has been reinforced to Finnish/Swedish 1A ice class standard, for self-reliant, year-round Baltic operation under timecharter to UPM of Finland. Four newbuilds of the Lady M-class have been contracted at Wuhu by Delfzijl-domiciled Wijnne Barends, the short-sea specialist within the Spliethoff Group, on the strength of assured long-term employment with UPM.

The design, developed by the owner in cooperation with Conoship International of the Netherlands and tank-tested at HSVA in Hamburg, meets the Finnish charterer’s criteria as regards ‘sustainable’ sea transportation as well as Spliethoff’s own environmental agenda.  A key element will be primary use of LNG fuel in the Wartsila medium-speed main engine, promising a 25% cut in CO² emissions besides abatement of the bulk of the NOx, SOx, and soot associated with diesel power.

The six-cylinder L34DF dual-fuel engine is rated at 2,550kW, to drive a nozzled, controllable pitch propeller through a reduction gearbox for a design speed of 12.5 knots. The complete driveline is of Wartsila supply, and the integrated nature of the arrangements is exemplified by the tailoring of the propeller and HP nozzle to the hull form. A proprietary data collection unit with cloud-based services and remote monitoring will help optimise fuel economy and vessel availability, yielding technical management oversight.

Rising to the challenge of the space restrictions typical of short-sea cargo ships, Wartsila formulated a customised solution in cooperation with the naval architect and the owners that allowed below-deck installation of the 200m³-capacity LNGPac fuel storage and supply system without compromising the cargo hold space. The single box-like hold extends for 71.4m of the 108m perpendicular length, and for 13.8m of the 16.5m breadth, with a depth of 9.5m, providing an underdeck revenue-earning volume of 316,400ft³. Given the relatively high density of forestry goods, and the point loads imposed by project freight, the tank top is reinforced for 15t per square metre.

The delivery programme for the Lady M-series runs into mid-2022, and the three newbuilds following Lady Marie Christine will bear the names Lady Menna, Lady Mathilde, and Lady Monique. Fleet investment by Wijnne Barends also encompasses a sextet of 4,200dwt singledeckers from Indian shipbuilder Chowgule & Co. Fifth-of-class Lady Habarka was commissioned in July this year.

TECHNICAL PARTICULARS

Lady Marie Christine