Cool and fast

In September 2000, German shipowner ER Schiffahrt/ Nordcapital, better known as Erck Rickmers, contracted compatriot shipbuilder SSW Fähr- und Spezialschiffbau to build up to 10 units of the shipyard?s Super 25-type container vessel. The initial order placed at the Bremerhaven yard called for five firm contracts plus five options, of which two were taken up in 2001 ? although earlier this year the seventh unit was

cancelled.

Four units have been chartered on a long-term basis to A P M?ller?s Maersk Sealand Line and two by its Antwerp-based subsidiary Safmarine Container Lines. The first five vessels, each costing $33.5 million are scheduled for delivery during the course of this year with the sixth unit slated for completion in June 2003.

The first unit, ER Bremerhaven, was launched on November 7, 2001 and is to take up service as Safmarine Cunene after its scheduled delivery on May 30. The second vessel, ER Heligoland, was launched on March 23 this year and will enter charter as Safmarine Zambezi. The keel of the third vessel, E R Wilhelmshaven, was laid at Bremerhaven on March 27.

SSW has only one slipway, which is not long enough to construct the complete hulls of these boxships, so the yard has to launch the vessels without their bow sections. These are added later by means of a floating crane.

The tight delivery schedule of the first five units, over a seven-month period, resulted in SSW sub-contracting the building of three hulls to Daewoo-Mangalia yard. The Romanian builder has scheduled the completion of the hulls for March, June and December this year. They will be named E R Cuxhaven, E R Bremen and E R Elsfleth.

The newbuildings will have a high reefer ratio of just over 27% representing 684 teu out of a total box capacity of 2,490 teu with 200 reefer points on deck and 142 in the holds. The five cargo holds can stow containers in 10 rows of six tiers. On deck, 12 rows and six tiers can be accommodated. Two of the holds are suitable for dangerous cargoes.

On a draught of 10.1m, the Super 25 is designed to accept 1,550 teu based on a homogenous loading of 14t per box. A draught of 11m will increase this capacity to 1,690 teu while a maximum of 1,780 teu is possible on a draught of 11.4m. The remaining capacity is available for empty boxes.

The cargo gear consists of three MacGregor cranes with lifting capacities of 45/36t at 25/31m outreach. The ballast and heeling water capacity is 10,200m3.

The main propulsion plant is a Wärtsilä Sulzer 7RTA72 U-B, developing 21,560 kW at 99 rev/min driving a fp propeller to give a service speed of 22 knots. This is higher than on a number of similarly designed units of the 2,500 teu size which have been designed in large numbers by various German yards in recent years such as Kvaerner Warnow, Aker MTW, Volkswerft Stralsund and Thyssen-Nordseewerke. Bunker tanks of 3,800m3 allow a maximum cruising range of 15,000nm based on a daily consumption of 87t hfo with a viscosity of 700 cST/50O.

Three auxiliary diesel engines of the MaK 8M25 type, which are also burning hfo, are connected to generators of Anhaltinische Elektromotorenwerke Dessau giving an output of 2,200 kW each. Each vessel will be fitted with a 1,100 kW bow thruster.