this is something I seriously don’t get?..I understand that sponsons don’t increase below deck container capacity but they do increase the number of on deck containers that can be. The cost to widen a ship like this must be astronomical compared sponsoning so I wonder how the economics of widening an entire hull can ever work?
World’s First ‘Widened’ Containership Re-Enters Service
July 8, 2015 by Mike Schuler
MSC Geneva at the HRDD shipyard in China. Photo: Reederei NSB
After successful sea trials, the world’s first widened containership – MSC Geneva – re-entered service this month sailing between China and South America.
The MSC Geneva is the first three ships belonging to the German shipping company Reederei NSB to be cut in half and widened at Huarun Dadong Dockyard in China. The company says that the widening increases TEU capacity of the ships by 30% and improves stability, while operating costs remain the same. Also the IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) achieved will equal that of a new building and meet EEDI regulations as per 2025.
“No one has ever cut a container ship longitudinally from the superstructure to the bow to widen it. We are very proud of our team who widened the MSC GENEVA and thus demonstrated the viability of our concept. The ship will prove that it can keep up with the other carriers that ply the world’s oceans,” Tim Ponath, Chief Operative Officer of REEDEREI NSB, said at Xingchong Hotel in Shanghai at the official project completion celebration following the tour of the ship.
“With this project NSB has solidified its excellent global reputation as a leading ship manager with a vision and pioneering spirit. It has successfully upgraded one of three of its ships through widening, managed to enhance the competitiveness of panmax vessels and improve the overall economic framework,” Jifeng Wu, Managing Director of HRDD shipyard, said in his speech during the festivities.
Great post - Thanks. I just checked she is currently on her way to US SAV from US BAL.
[QUOTE=c.captain;165223]this is something I seriously don’t get?..I understand that sponsons don’t increase below deck container capacity but they do increase the number of on deck containers that can be. The cost to widen a ship like this must be astronomical compared sponsoning so I wonder how the economics of widening an entire hull can ever work?[/QUOTE]
Just piling on a few more boxes above deck doesn’t help stability much. Like the MSC guy said, widening the hull improves stability as well as increases capacity by 30 percent. Widening makes it a bigger boat rather than just clagging on more steel.Think about how much sponson steel it would take to (never) achieve the same results.
[QUOTE=Steamer;184493]Just piling on a few more boxes above deck doesn’t help stability much. Like the MSC guy said, widening the hull improves stability as well as increases capacity by 30 percent. Widening makes it a bigger boat rather than just clagging on more steel.Think about how much sponson steel it would take to (never) achieve the same results.[/QUOTE]
Increasing beam and stability by adding sponsons may add some container spaces and weight [U]on deck[/U], but not by much.
The height of containers on deck is more often limited by line of sight from the bridge.
(Lot of times empty containers for re-positioning are carried on deck)
Circa 2015 “No one has ever cut a container ship longitudinally from the superstructure to the bow to widen it. We are very proud of our team who widened the MSC GENEVA and thus demonstrated the viability of our concept. [B]The ship will prove that it can keep up with the other carriers that ply the world’s oceans[/B],”
As last month at least three container companies all were lamenting over capacity, and revamping schedules to reflect the drop in business worldwide?? It’s hard to keep up in a competitive market on a falling economy.