China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai recently handed over two new pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) in a series to Global Auto Carriers (GAC), a newly established business unit of MSC-owned Norwegian shipping company Gram Car Carriers.
Global Aconcagua and Global Fuji are the first two in a new series of PCTCs ordered by GAC from the same builder.
Another two PCTCs are under various stages of construction and GAC continues to hold options for two additional vessels.
The two Marshall Islands-flagged Panamax ships each have an LOA of 199.9 metres (655.8 feet), a beam of 38 metres (120 feet), a draught of 8.6 metres (28 feet), a summer deadweight of 18,700, and 12 vehicle decks that can house up to 7,000 CEUs.
Four of the decks on each ship are liftable to permit the carriage of larger vehicles such as buses and trailers while loading and unloading are via side and stern quarter ramps.
Each ship is powered by a dual-fuel propulsion system that can run on LNG, MGO, or very low sulphur fuel oil. The propulsion complies with IMO Tier III emission standards and delivers a service speed of 19 knots.
The propulsion arrangement on each ship includes one MAN 6S60MC-MK 10.5-GI-EcoEGR main engine with a rated output of 14,950 kW (20,000 hp) driving a propeller, a 2,000kW bow thruster, and three Himsen 8H22CDF 1,500kW generators. The LNG fuel is stored in two type C tanks with a combined capacity of 1,700 cubic metres (370,000 gallons).
Global Aconcagua and Global Fuji are classed by DNV. Conceptual and detail design work on the two newbuilds was undertaken by China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute.
Sister ships Global Kilimanjaro and Global Patagonia are scheduled to be delivered to GAC within this year. They will join the two earlier PCTCs in transporting vehicle cargo across Western Europe and the Mediterranean.
| Global Aconcagua & Global Fuji | |
|---|---|
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | Pure car and truck carriers |
| Classification: | DNV |
| Flag: | Marshall Islands |
| Owner: | Gram Car Carriers, Norway |
| Operator: | Global Auto Carriers, Norway |
| Designer: | Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute, China |
| Builder: | China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai |
| Length overall: | 199.9 metres (655.8 feet) |
| Beam: | 38 metres (120 feet) |
| Draught: | 8.6 metres (28 feet) |
| Deadweight tonnage: | 18700 |
| Capacity: | 7,000 CEUs |
| Main engine: | MAN 6S60MC-MK 10.5-GI-EcoEGR, 14,950 kW (20,000 hp) |
| Propulsion: | Propeller |
| Generators: | 3 x Himsen 8H22CDF, each 1,500 kW |
| Cruising speed: | 19 knots |
| Types of fuel: | LNG; MGO; VLSFO |
| Fuel capacity: | 1,700 cubic metres (370,000 gallons) |