Briese Group adds 13,000DWT vessel to fleet

German shipping company the Briese Group has taken delivery of a new multi-purpose cargo vessel built by Taizhou Sanfu Heavy Industry of China.

BBC Leer will be operated under a long-term time charter with BBC Chartering for worldwide trading. It is the first unit in a series of 15 triple-deck vessels built to transport heavy lift and project cargo.

The newbuild is fitted with two cranes that offer a combined lifting capacity of 500 tonnes.

The bridge and the crew accommodation spaces are located at the front of the ship, while the two cranes are located portside. This allows for an unobstructed 2,830 square metres of space on the weather deck.

The two cargo holds are box-shaped and offer room for almost 26,000 cubic metres of cargo on a floor space of close to 5,000 square metres, when two tween decks are in operation.

Briese said the higher capacity of cargo spaces below deck compared to existing tonnage allows for up to 30 per cent reductions in GHG emissions per freight ton carried. The main large triple-deck cargo hold can accommodate cargo units under deck at a length of up to 104.3 metres at a width of up to 18.2 metres.

Hatch covers and tweendecks allow for loads up to four tonnes per square metre, while the tanktop can handle up to 20 tonnes per square metre, in parts up to 25 tonnes per square metre.

The vessels are certified to operate with open hatches. Whilst intended for worldwide trading, the design of the BBC vessels has been optimised to still fit both the St Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

The remaining 14 ships in the series will all be delivered to BBC Chartering by 2026.