Malaysian shipyard Shin Yang has recently delivered the 'Shinline 12' general cargo vessel to local shipping firm Shinline. Measuring 128 metres in length with a beam of 20.5 metres and a draught of 9.17 metres, the 13,500 tonne 'Shinline 12' boasts a cargo capacity of 18,000 cubic metres and a price tag of USD27.7 million.
Upon entering service, the 'Shinline 12' will voyage several key Asian shipping routes, including South East Asia, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwa
Perhaps the most significant feature of this vessel is that it is the first ship in Malaysia to incorporate a ballast water management system.
Group managing director of Shin Yang Shipping, Ling Chiong Sing, said the system was adopted to support the sustainability of ecosystems and marine life.
"The system is a modern shipping system, the latest and most environmentally friendly," he said at the vessel's handover ceremony at Kuala Baram on the Baram River, near the Malaysia-Brunei border.
The installed ballast water management system will filter out all marine life and ocean microorganisms, Ling explained, especially in unfamiliar areas before water is introduced into the vessel.
"This was done so that all marine life will not enter into foreign ecosystems when water is released to the next destination of the vessel involved," Ling added.
According to Shin Yang, conventional ballast water management systems in the past had brought with them significant risks and environmental impacts, as well as potential hazards for human health, property or resources.
The 'Shinline 12' is the third vessel delivered for Shinline after the 'Shinline 10' and 'Shinline 11' last year. A fourth vessel named 'Shinline 15' is expected to be launched in early 2013.