Crane and cargo access orders continue

Among the latest contracts is an order from Stena Line for conversion work on cargo accaess equipment on three ro-pax vessels: the 39,169gt Stena Germanica, the 39,169gt Stena Scandinavica and the 44,327gt Stena Hollandica. The conversion work will ensure that the vessels are better suited to their new trading routes and will be carried out in three separate stages, starting in June 2010 and finishing at the beginning of 2011.

MacGregor equipment and conversion work for Stena Germanica and Stena Scandinavica includes modifying existing stern ramps, a new liftable bulwark, bow door strength analysis, modifying the existing car deck and car ramp systems, and a new fixed loading platform aft. For Stena Hollandica, conversion work involves the MacGregor bulkhead doors between the tank top deck and main deck and a new passenger door.

A separate has been completed on a fourth Stena ship, the 25,000gt ro-pax Borja. A MacGregor bulkhead door was installed between the tank top deck and the main deck and also additional work was done to on the ventilation and bilge water systems and the fire posts. The project started onboard the vessel during a voyage from Barcelona and was finished alongside in Rotterdam.

A further ro-ro order comes from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering for the design and delivery of key components for four deep-sea vessels for an Italian owner. The contract comprises one jumbo quarter ramp, one stern door, two ramp covers and several internal bulkhead doors. The jumbo quarter ramp is the biggest ever ordered from Cargotec.

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard has contracted Cargotec to design and manufacture one quarter ramp, one side ramp, hoistable car decks including internal access ramps and several bulkhead doors for two 3,500 unit car carriers for an Israeli owner.

Hatch covers

In February 2010 Samho Shipbuilding confirmed an order with Cargotec for a series of folding weatherdeck hatch covers for six 32,000 dwt bulk carriers; this follows a contract received in December 2009 for 24 MacGregor cranes on the same vessels.

Each of the six ships will feature four MacGregor GLB3026 cranes, fitted with the company’s CC3000 control system, and five MacGregor folding weatherdeck hatch covers, comprising a total of 20 panels.

The hydraulically-operated hatch cover arrangement offers a total day opening area of about 2,023m² and will weigh around 640 tonnes. The equipment is designed and manufactured to ABS regulations. The hatch covers include Flexipads, FlexSeal and a pump unit enabling operation of any two pairs at a time. They are battened to the coaming by quick acting cleats and hatch No 3 (ballast water hold) will feature heavy-duty ballast cleats.

Container lashings

Orders worth around € 11 million for loose container lashings for 17 container ships being built at Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea have been placed with Cargotec for delivery starting at the end of 2010.

The orders cover two series of mega-sized container ships. One contract is from United Arab Shipping Company with the Gulf Co-operation Council, for a new building order of nine 13,100 TEU container vessels. The other came from China Shipping Container Line, and requires Cargotec to supply eight shipsets of loose container lashings for CSCL’s series of 14,100 TEU container ships, the biggest such order yet secured in China.

Cargotec explains that containers are exposed to numerous external forces such as wind and waves and the mass of the cargo is accelerated by ship movements. Each year a large number of containers are washed overboard as a result of insufficient lashings; extreme weather; and/or incorrect loading or overloading. Container lashing systems need to have margins for rough handling and therefore safe and robust design is important to reduce operational errors and to ensure durability.

Further orders have been received from Seaspan to secure container loads onboard two series of ships under construction in Korea. The first contract is for loose container lashings for a series of eight 13,000 TEU container carriers, which will be delivered from Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries between 2011 and 2012, and a second series of five 4,500 TEU ships being built at Samsung Heavy Industries, which are planned for delivery between 2010 and 2011.

Cargotec offers MacGregor and AllSet lashing products and systems, designed for high cargo safety standards with quick and easy operation.

Offshore cranes

Latest offshore orders for Cargotec include two of its MacGregor windlass-handling manipulator systems and two large offshore knuckle-jib cranes, for two AHTS vessels on order for DOF ASA. The ships are based on an STX AH12 design and will be built by STX Brazil Offshore.

A MacGregor 200 tonne subsea active heave-compensated knuckle-jib crane with a 2000m wire capacity is being supplied for a vessel from Toisa, operated by Sealion Shiping.

Two 150 tonne active heave-compensated subsea knuckle-jib cranes have been ordered by Singapore-based Ezra Marine Service for a deepwater AHTS vessel and a self-propelled accommodation barge.

The cranes will be manufactured at MacGregor’s specialist plant in Kristiansand, Norway, and the assembly plant in Singapore.