Big, and getting bigger

A procession of increasingly larger post panamax newbuildings enter liner service, with more on order.

The first of five 5,500 TEU post-panamax container ships, all with completion dates this year, has been delivered by Kvaerner Warnow Werft (KWW), Germany, to P&O Nedlloyd.

These ships are the largest ever built in Germany in respect of the deadweight, of 67,902t, service speed, main engine size, and container carrying capacity, says KWW. The first vessel, P&O Nedlloyd Tasman, was handed over by the yard on January 13.

The 264.4m length bp, 40m breadth vessel is designed with eight cargo holds and 15 hatches, will have a service speed of over 25 knots at a design draught of 12.5m, and is classed by Germanischer Lloyd.

The yard is building three 5,468 TEU container vessels for P&O Nedlloyd, part of a series of five vessels to be delivered to the company before the end of this year. Because of the restricted construction capacity available at KWW, Aker MTW in Wismar is to build the other two of these KWW-designed vessels.

TEUs as well as FEUs can be carried in all holds (2,588 TEU), and on deck (2,880 TEU). All stacks, except the outer stack beside hatch no.1, can be used for stowage of all-FEU containers.

The hull is designed to accommodate a variety of different loading conditions, including jumping loads. To this end, the holds are designed for container weights of 30 t/TEU and 35 t/FEU.

The height in the holds is sufficient to stow one tier of 2.9m (9ft 6in) high containers without reducing container stowing capacity. Containers holding dangerous goods can be carried on deck as well as in all cargo holds.

The cargo hatches are closed by pontoon covers made by MacGregor. Stack loadings are 90 t/stack TEU and 120 t/stack FEU, with the TEU containers stowed with a longitudinal distance of 750 mm.

Sockets are provided for a total of 500 reefer containers, 350 on deck, and 150 in the holds.

Machinery

The main engine is a single Sulzer 10 RTA 96 C, supplied by Hyundai Heavy Industries, with an output of 54,900kW (73,592 bhp) at an MCR of 100 rev/min. This is directly connected to a 8.4m diameter Lips FP propeller.

Electricity supply

Electrical power is supplied by four sets of MaK 9M 25 diesel engines, each with an output of 2,200 kW, 6.6 kV, plus one diesel engine driven emergency generator, output 330 kW, 440 V.

An STN shaft generator plant gives an output of 2,400 kW, 6.6 kV, with a thyristor type frequency converter. It can operate in a range of 40 to 100 per cent MCR.

Bridge and automation concept

The vessel is equipped with a Hitec integrated navigation system (INS) for one-man-bridge operation in compliance with notation NAV-OC and with an integrated ship monitoring and control system (ISCM), also from Hitec.

With these two systems the crew is able to monitor and control all navigation and machinery operations from any of the workstation monitors on the bridge.

As well as the bridge, centres for ship?s monitoring and control functions are also located in the harbour control room and in the ship?s office in the engine room area.

Hull form and propeller design

Extensive numerical investigations, plus model tests at the HSVA and Marin towing tanks, were carried out to optimise speed and minimise vibration on P&O Nedlloyd Tasman, says builder Kvaerner Warnow Werft.

Larger vessels awaited

The company is also awaiting delivery of four 6,788 TEU vessels, starting late this year, from Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea. Container capacity will include 710 reefer slots, and each vessel will be powered by a Hyundai-Sulzer engine developing 65,930kW (89,640 bhp), giving a service speed of 25 knots.