Biggest ‘coastal’ container ship ever with SS Spherical Bow
Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation received, on December 27, 2013, an order for a 540TEU container carrier from Kobe-basedImoto Lines, Ltd.
key features of this innovatively designed vessel
(1) Biggest ‘coastal’ container ship ever
To meet the increasing demand in domestic transportation (for both normal and reverse logistics) as well as in feeder service to cope with enlarging international container carriers, the ship is designed to have the biggest loading capacity for a Japanese ‘coastal’ container vessel. With more than twice bigger than conventional types of 499-749GRT, she will bring a new dimension to the transport efficiency.
(2) Semi-Spherical Shaped Bow (SSS-b) with integrated bridge
From the outside, clean lines andKyokuyo’s award-winning and patented SSS bow give the vessel a sleek modern look. The unique front-end shape is expected to save 5%(designed values) of fuel consumption under average sea condition, by reducing the wind pressure by 30%(designed values) compared with conventional hulls.
The bridge and accommodation area are smartly integrated into the fore-part to ensure better visibility and crew’s comfort, by minimizing the impact of noise and vibration from the machinery. It also helps maximize the container loading efficiency.
(3) Eco friendliness
Besides her sleek hull shape, the new container ship will be equipped with many eco-friendly features that reduce the product’s impact on the environment : high efficiency propeller, fuel saving paint, F.O. piping system that prevents oil spills on bunkering, and IMO PSPC compliant coating, to name a few.
Through numerous discussions with Imoto Lines, the best-in-class operator’s vast know-how and tons of ideas are implemented to this new product.
With the delivery scheduled in 2016, Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation is now working busy to tweak the hull shape, using tank tests and wind tunnel tests, and newly introduced ship design software. This ship will set the benchmark for the next generation of domestic container carrier.
Source: Kyokuyo Shipyard Corporation
