Dunkirkmax Green Cape launches new build era

A ship of firsts. The first ship from a new shipyard; the first example of a new environmental design; the first vessel of its size and type built in China; and the first to feature a new type of hatch cover.

CSK Fortune, a 175, 526 dwt Tai Chong Cheang Steamship-owned capesize bulk carrier, last month became the first delivery of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co (SWS) in Shanghai, the first delivery of Hong Kong naval architect Peter Cheng?s “Green Cape” bulk carrier design, the first delivery of a large capesize bulk carrier by a Chinese shipyard and the first delivery of a ship with MacGregor?s roll-up-roll mechanism for side-rolling hatch covers.

CSK Fortune is designed for worldwide trading, with the principal design constraint being the restrictions of the Charles de Gaulle lock at Dunkirk East harbour. The result is a Dunkirkmax design, the largest bulk carrier able to enter the French port?s eastern harbour. The ship has a mere 5cm margin on the maximum length (289.05m) and beam (45.05m) the lock can accommodate in the slack after daytime high water, while due consideration has also been given to the harbour?s air draught restriction. Aside from this trade constraint the major point of interest in the design is its environmental

features

, hence the Peter Cheng designated moniker “Green Cape”.

Environmental

features

The bunker tanks sit on a double hull (although the ship as a whole is a single skin design), to reduce the risk of oil pollution. No fuel oil, diesel oil or lub oil is contained in the double bottom tanks. A tin-free Chugoku self-polishing coating with five-year lifespan is applied.

In addition the at-sea ballast exchange system has been designed in such a way so as to avoid the overflow of water onto the main deck. The system is designed to overcome the problems associated with conventional flow-through and pump-empty ballast exchange at-sea systems (high pressure created by flow-through exchange at-sea may accidentally damage the ballast tank structure and water may overflow through the tank?s air vent pipes; pump empty at-sea involves complex procedures and mis-operation can cause damage to the ship?s structure). The ballast tanks on CSK Fortune are therefore divided into nine pairs with an internal piping system allowing the ballast pump to safely exchange ballast at-sea through the sea chest, explains the shipowner.

The ballast water system for loading and discharging consists of two main ballast lines forming a ring main and an independent ballast stripping line in a pipe duct, in combination with gravity valves for topside tanks number 2, 4 and 6. During loading, all ballast can be exchanged within 10 hours, says the shipowner. Two 2,500m3/h ballast pumps, supplied by Japan?s Naniwa Pump Mfg Co, are fitted.

Cargo carriage

CSK Fortune has nine cargo holds with a combined grain capacity of 193,000m3. Each hold is equipped with twin side-rolling type hatch covers. Each panel is operated by a hydraulic motor and rack-and-pinion system that uses a new type of hydraulically-actuated self-locking roll-up-roll mechanism. The number of hydraulic cylinders required to operate the covers is two per hatch cover set, which compares to a traditional wheel-lifting system requiring eight per set. MacGregor?s FlexSeal rubber packing provides the seal between the hatch covers and coamings, and between the cover panels.

The covers offer clear openings to the holds 15.47m long by 16.5m wide (Numbers 1 and 9 holds) and 15.47m long by 20m wide (Numbers 2 to 8 holds). The ship is fitted with a computer running new loading software developed by Peter Cheng, with programs for sequential and multi-port loading/unloading. Each hold, as well as the forepeak tanks, has an electric pressure sensor Water Ingress Detection System as required by latest IACS and Solas requirements.

Design collaboration

Peter Cheng collaborated with SDARI (Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute) in development of the detailed design. The ship was model tank tested at SSPA on the recommendation of LM Poon, technical director at Tai Chong Cheang. The shipowner?s recommendations, based on its experience of operating capesize bulk carriers, also resulted in an increased corrugated bulkhead thickness to give a 25 per cent corrosion margin (compared to the IACS requirement of 15 per cent) and the fitting of a Nakashima PAI-type propeller.

Machinery outfit

The propeller is driven by a Hudong Marine Diesel Works-built MAN B&W 6S70MC (Mark VI) engine, which has a maximum continuous rating of 16,858kW at 91 rev/min. Three 750kW Yanmar 6N21L-EV diesel generators provide auxiliary power. Each of the gensets

features

Yanmar?s ASSIGN combustion system (Available Space [as relates to the combustion chamber], Scattering Injection, Geometric Nexus), designed to lower fuel consumption and reduce air pollutants.

Monitoring of the engines is undertaken via the latest Japan Radio & Electric Manufacturing Co (JRCS) LCD-type displays in the engine control room and the chief engineer?s day room. The engine control room console also provides soundings of fuel oil tanks and level and alarm monitoring. A Nabco main engine remote control

system provides control for

propulsion.

Timeline to delivery

First steel was cut on November 8, 2001. The keel of CSK Fortune was laid on March 6, 2002. The ship was launched one year later on March 10, 2003. The main engine completed an approval running test on May 7, 2003. The ship embarked upon six days of sea trials four days later on May 11, achieving a speed of 16.78 knots in Beaufort Scale 3 sea conditions and with the engine running at its nominal continuous rating. This was well above the contracted guarantee speed of 15 knots. CSK Fortune was formally named on June 25 and delivered on June 27.

At least 11 further “Green Cape” vessels are scheduled to follow CSK Fortune out of the Shanghai Waigaoqiao yard. A second ship for Tai Chong Cheang is followed by vessels for Cosco, Bocimar and Foremost.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao; a new yard in profile

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is the result of the largest single investment project in the Chinese shipbuilding industry. It is sited on the southern coast of the Yangtze River mouth in the Shanghai Pudong New District and adjacent to the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone. China State Shipbuilding Corporation holds a majority stake in the yard, with Shanghai Bao Steel Group, Shanghai Electrical Group and China Shipbuilding Trading Co holding minority interests.

The yard occupies an area of 1.44 million m2 and has two large drydocks, measuring 480m x 106m and 360m x 76m, each currently equipped with a 600t Goliath crane, well-equipped workshops and 1,500m of water frontage. A second planned stage of investment will result in each dock getting a second gantry crane.

The yard is designed for integrated and efficient production, so expect to see the 12-month dock construction time of CSK Fortune and other early builds drop dramatically for subsequent deliveries. The plan is to initially produce 1.05 million dwt (about six “Green Capes”) per year, increasing to 1.8 million dwt (about 10 “Green Capes”) per year when the second phase is complete.

As well as the “Green Cape” design, the yard is building a 150,000 dwt FPSO for China National Offshore Oil. Peter Cheng has recently developed a 230,000 dwt “Super Green” capesize bulk carrier, with a double skin, for the yard (see The Motor Ship, November 2002). The yard is also marketing a range of tankers and in April secured an order for two Aframax vessels from Steers Shipping of Greece plus two options.

Few in the shipbuilding industry welcome new dock capacity. Supply, they say, is already far outstripping demand. True enough in a global context. But on a regional scale, the case is often the reverse. China is responsible for a huge slice of world trade and has an equally large fleet – natural therefore that it should want to build more ships. As long as new yards play by the rules of fair trade, business being business, no one should have any complaints.