News
VALE Places Largest Shipbuilding Order Ever
China's third largest shipbuilder, Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries and the world's biggest iron ore supplier, Brazilian company Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (VALE) have concluded an order for building 12 very large ore carriers (VLOC), making it the world's largest shipbuilder order ever contracted. DNV will class all the 12 vessels. The shipbuilding contracts for 12 VLOCs were signed in Shanghai last month. The ore carriers, which will be 360 m long, 65 m wide and 30.4 m high, with the loading capacity to 400,000 dwt each are the world's largest ore carrier ever contracted, and with the total deadweight tons of all vessels; cumulative, this represents the largest shipbuilding order ever contracted in the world to date. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2011. All vessels will be operated on fixed route transporting iron ore between Brazil and China. While these mammoth ships will set a number of new records, emissions will not be one of them. These vessels are designed for a record low carbon footprint, and for long-lasting, effective and reliable operation. Also, the vessels are being designed with special attention to fatigue life and efficient loading operations, and will apply the new DNV class notation EL-2 (Easy Loading). El-2 ensures a design that combine safety with loading flexibility and it will allow the vessels to load each cargo hold in one pass. The set up from a standard capsize bulk carrier to these 400,000 dwt VLOCs means a reduction by between 30 and 40 percent in fuel consumption and CO2 emission for each tonne of cargo carried, a significant reduction in carbon footprint per unit cargo carried.
SEA POWER
Pearl Seas Ship in Outfitting
Pearl Seas Cruises' first ship, the Pearl Mist, which was launched in March, is in its outfitting stage. "It is progressing with over 150 people working on the ship daily at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, Nova Scotia," said Vice President Tim Beebe. The joiner work and the electrical installation are being completed at this time. The 210-passenger cruise ship is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2009. The new ship will have international cruises in the Canadian Maritimes, St Lawrence Seaway, Great Lakes, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New England, and in the Caribbean. The ships' suites, each measuring 302-580 sq. ft., will all have private balconies with opening picture windows. All staterooms will also feature flat-screen satellite TV's, DVD players, have individual climate control and Internet access.
Email: Beebe@pearlseascruises.com
8
Maritime Reporter & Engineering News