German M?ller yard delivers its largest boxes

AP M?ller-owned shipyard Volkswerft Stralsund is building a series of four 2,833 TEU container vessels for operation by sister company Maersk Sealand. The second unit of the VWS 2900 design was christened Jens Maersk on August 14. Maersk Sealand has employed the first unit Jeppesen Maersk on its northern Europe to South America east-coast service since its delivery in May. The VWS 2900 design is the largest vessel type constructed by the east German yard. It succeeds the VWS 2500 design, which had won the yard the business of a number of German owners. The DIS-flagged Jeppesen Maersk (yard no 432) is owned by Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg and Dampsibsselskabet af 1912, which are also both part of the AP M?ller group. The Panamax breadth newbuilding carries its container load in six cargo holds, on eleven hatches and on deck. The holds can accommodate six tiers of 9? 61/2″ high containers in eleven rows. This amounts to a below deck capacity of 581 TEU and 192 FEU. On the hatches and on deck, the containers are stowed up to seven tiers high and in 13 rows. This results in a 1,352 TEU plus 258 FEU capacity. The maximum number of 40? containers of 9? 61/2″ height is 1,387 (473 in holds and 914 on deck). In this configuration an additional 59 TEU can be carried (19 in holds and 40 on deck). The maximum number of 45? containers amounts to 591 units on deck. These can be carried alongside 796 FEU (473 in holds and 323 on deck) and 59 TEU. There is capacity for up to 600 FEU reefer containers. The holds can contain 352 water-cooled units with 248 air-cooled boxes stored on deck. Dangerous cargoes, according to SOLAS specifications, can be stored in holds 1-5 or carried on the weather deck (but not above the engine room). The ballast capacity is 11,018m3. Ten of the hatches in front of the superstructure provide 40? bays. The most forward hatch, directly behind the forecastle, is used for 20? containers. Aft of the superstructure deck containers can be loaded in two 40? bays. The hatches are of a pontoon type. Their dimensions are as follows: hatch 1 (2 x 7 x 9.2m), hatch 2 (2 x 13.3 x 9.2m), hatches 3 to 10 (2 x 13.3 x 10.5m and 1 x 13.3 x 7.5m), hatch 11 (2 x 13.3 x 8.6m). The Jeppesen Maersk is equipped with one crane of 49t SWL at 30.2m outreach and one of 58t SWL with an outreach of 27.2m. This enables a working range across four 40? bays. Foundations for two optional cranes have been provided. The monorail of 10t SWL has a maximum outreach of 4m over board. The main engine is an HSD (South Korea) built MAN B&W 7K90MC-C. This acts on a fixed-pitch propeller. It has an output of 31,920kW (85% MCR) at 104 rev/min. A speed of 23 knots is achieved on scantling draught. A 1,110kW controllable pitch thruster is fitted at the bow and the stern of the vessel. Three MAN B&W 8L27/38 auxiliary diesels provide 2,290kW each and one MAN B&W 6L27/38 generates 1,720kW. The emergency diesel generator delivers 180kW. The ship?s heavy fuel oil capacity of 4,985m3 enables a cruising range of about 17,150 nautical miles. The MDO capacity is 334m3. The lub oil capacity is 280m3.