World's Largest Con/Ro Makes Inaugural Call at Halifax

The first of ACL's G4 class vehicle / container vessels, the Atlantic Star, made her inaugural port call at Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 6, catching the notice of local observers with her distinctive lines.

The U.K.-flagged Star's unique design reflects ACL's commitment to reliability; the firm has not lost a container over the side in the last 30 years of operation on the rough seas of its North Atlantic routes. The tall cell guides that define her shape secure above-deck containers tightly against the rolling and pitching of the vessel in higher sea states. It is a feature ACL has employed for some time to ensure that every shipment gets to its destination.

At 45,000 dwt, she is the largest con/ro ever built, and in addition to a slightly higher sea speed, she has an advantage over earlier vessels' fuel efficiency: her emissions per TEU-mile are 65 percent less than her predecessors'. She can carry nearly 4,000 TEU and over 1,300 cars, and oversize loads are not a problem with internal deck heights of up to nearly 25 feet. Her hull is ice-classed 1C for North Atlantic service.

“ACL has been successful during its 48-year history by doing things differently than its competitors. We employ unique ships, go to unique ports and carry cargo that others cannot carry. The new G4 fleet will enhance our cargo carrying capabilities,” ACL said in a statement.

The company says that the Knud E. Hansen-designed G4 class will have improved stability with less ballast than previous vessels of the type, thanks to fore and aft container stowage running deep into the hull and placement of the lower cargo density vehicle decks amidships. Traditional con/ro designs put the relatively empty vehicle decks below, with dense, heavy containers above main deck level. The G4 class will also be wider than the preceding Panamax-dimension G3 vessels, also contributing to improved inherent stability.

The Grimaldi Group-owned ACL has ordered four more vessels in the G4 class, with deliveries from builder Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding scheduled for the first half of 2016.