Big new Chinese-built series for Germans

Tom Todd writes: The 153.44m long, 23.2m wide BBC Amber, built by Jiangxi Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding, is in service with BBC Chartering, part of the Briese shipping group. The company boasts a fleet of more than 140 multi-purpose vessels from 3,500 to 37,300dwt and says it is the world’s leading carrier of heavy lift and project cargo.

BBC Amber’s 13 sister ships in the 12,000dwt ‘Edelstein’ (gem stone) series will be delivered by the same Chinese yard up to 2013. Bockstiegel has not put a price on the vessels but given such a large series it is bound to be advantageous. The company is a regular buyer of Chinese-built tonnage.

BBC Amber recently completed her maiden voyage to Europe and loaded two complete 268ton Gottwald quayside cranes in Hamburg for the return trip to India. BBC Chartering listed two more of the series for delivery this year, but latest reports said BBC Amethyst was now not expected to be delivered until January with BBC Aquamarine and BBC Coral following in March and May.

The new GL-classed, Antigua & Barbuda flagged ships are the biggest in BBC’s current fleet renewal and expansion program. They boast increased lifting capacities of up to 800tons at 18m outreach from two 400ton port-side NMF cranes operating in tandem and also have one starboard NMF 80ton crane. They also carry 966TEUs and boast 18,176m³ of cargo hold capacity. Among other new features are forward located superstructures and thus unobstructed views.

BBC Amber is propelled by a MAN Type 6S46MC-C main engine of 8,280kW providing 17.5 knots. The ship also has three 970kW auxiliary engines and an emergency 330kW unit. Other equipment includes two sea radars per ship, gyro compass, voyage data recorder, echo sounder and Navtex receiver (inmarsat C).