Steel Cut for New Heavy Lift Giant
The steel cutting ceremony for COSCO Heavy Transport’s 90,000dwt semi-sub heavy lift vessel marks the start of a vessel to rival the Dockwise Vanguard.
The new purpose-built heavy lift vessel, the Guang Hua Kou, will have a large open deck measuring 211.2 by 68 meters (692.9 by 223 feet) and be capable of transporting the largest offshore structures, semi-submersible rigs and jack-up rigs.
Many of the larger ships of this class are owned by the company Dockwise, including Mighty Servant 1, MV Blue Marlin, and MV Black Marlin. In 2004, Dockwise increased the deck width of Blue Marlin, to make it the then largest heavy transport carrier in the world until it was superseded by the launch of the Dockwise Vanguard in 2012.
The Dockwise Vanguard has a deck space of 275.00 x 70.00 meters. It was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and has a dedicated design for ultra-heavy units weighing up to 110,000 metric tons.
The ceremony for Guang Hua Kou was held at China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International shipyard in March. Delivery of the vessel will be in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Heavy Lift fleet expansion
COSCO Heavy Transport is the trade name of a joint venture between COSCO Shipping Company and NMA Maritime & Offshore Contractors, and COSCO Shipping is also expanding its conventional heavy lift vessel fleet. In January, the company signed a contract of building 4+2 multi-purpose heavy lift vessels each in 28,000 DWT at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard. The tandem lifting capacity of these vessels reaches 700 tons, which presents the maximum lifting capacity in the company’s heavy lift fleet.
The vessels will be suitable for carrying over-length, oversize and over-weight cargoes in the specialized shipping market. Optimized from the former 28,000 DWT multi-purpose heavy lift vessels, many functions of the newbuildings, such as loading intensity of hatch cover and performance of the main engines, will be highly improved, and the vessel will have more features in cargoworthiness and environmental protection.
At present, COSCO Shipping owns eight multi-purpose heavy lift vessels with 700-ton tandem lifting capacity.
Key Features of Guang Hua Kou:
* Superior internal strength, capable of stern or side loading.
* 16m deck submerging capabilities in order to load large floating structures.
* Ballasting will be controlled by four large capacity air compressors, which will enable operations to be completed in about six hours.
* The propulsion system will be diesel-electric and will provide a service speed of 13.5 knots.
* Easily removable stern buoyancy casings.
* Class 2 Dynamic Positioning System.
* Double separate redundant propulsion system and ballast systems for increased safety and reliability.
Technical Specifications of Guang Hua Kou:
Length - 255 meters (837 feet)
Breadth - 68 meters (223 feet)
Deadweight – 90,000 tons
Loaded Draft – 10.0 meters (32.8 feet)
Hull Depth – 14.5 meters (47.6 feet)
Deck Submersion – 16 meters (52.5 feet)
Allowable Loads – 20 tons/m2 overall / 125 tons/m on webframes