New Tweendecker Loading for Maiden Voyage Catches Fire

A new tweendecker preparing for its maiden voyage caught fire while docked in the Port of Antwerp yesterday, July 16. Ships in the port, as well as nearby residents, were being warned to use caution because of the smoke coming from the fire.

The Antwerp Fire Department said it received a call about the fire at 10:30 am local time and it sent crews to aid a fireboat that was fighting the fire aboard the FWN Adriatic (12,500 dwt). The vessel was loaded with cars and plasterboard.

Operator ForestWave, which recently allied with Spliethoff Group, had posted online that the vessel was “loading in North Europe and heading towards beautiful destinations in the Indian Ocean.” It was set to be the maiden voyage of the new ship, which is registered in the Netherlands.

It is the fourth ship of the company’s new Ecobox XL design. Measuring 144 meters (472 feet), shipbuilder Ferus Smit highlights that the design has its focus on loading extra-long items, such as windmill blades, while at the same time still maintaining its good capabilities as a general cargo ship. The new class is 21 meters (69 feet) longer than the earlier ships, extending her box-shaped hold to more than 100 meters in length on the tanktop, and 112 meters above the movable tweendeck level. The new ships are 18 meters wide, enhancing the cargo deadweight further, and maintaining flexibility of loading while keeping a very low resistance on both flat water and in waves.

The fire department reports that it was able to contain some of the smoke by closing hatch covers. It also decided to use CO2 to stop the fire, as it would further reduce the smoke. Although that method was expected to require several hours to completely extinguish the fire.