DC GD69# 6I H:6# - Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics

hese new vessels will certainly move us into
the next decade and beyond,” predicted Geir
Fagerheim, the head of Fleet Management
for WWL.
The four 76,500-gross-tonne vessels, which will
bring about the next technological leap forward for
WWL are currently being built at the Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan, and
they will be delivered in 2011 and 2012.
WWL has a long history of successful
newbuildings from the world-renowned
Mitsubishi yard. The vessels will be NIS
flagged and certified by Det Norske Veritas.
They will be 265 metres long, have
a beam of 32.26 metres and a cruising
speed of 20 knots. Schedule speed is assumed
at 18 knots given various weather
conditions.
will be ideal for
carrying combined loads of; Cars, High
& Heavy and Non Containerised Cargo
(NCC).. The configuration of the vessels
has been “optimised for different types of
cargo”, hence liftable decks.
Fagerheim told Venture: “We have always
had a special focus on the high and heavy cargo
segment and these new vessels will, for sure, help
optimise our effectiveness in this sector.”
Major design criteria for the four vessels
are to meet the demands of our customers:
maximum flexibility, more efficiency through
larger vessels, lower fuel consumption,
good transport economies, efficient cargo
handling, minimum impact on the environment,
good form stability and thus a
reduced need for water ballast. Also the
main deck will be strengthened for Samson
heavy-lift trailers and three liftable decks
will provide flexibility and maximum
utilisation for the vessels.
deck of these stateof-the-art
vessels will be strengthened
and equipped to accommodate project
cargoes such as yachts, windmill blades
and other cargo suitable for on-deck shipments.
All cargoes, except weather deck cargo, will
be loaded and discharged via a high-capacity
12-metre wide stern ramp. For extra safe watertight
closure there will also be a separate watertight door.
Fuel oil will be stored in protected deep tanks forward
and aft. With these very advanced specifications these
vessels will be among the safest and most environmentally
friendly afloat the seven seas.
Conscientious WWL is always looking to, wherever
possible, reduce its carbon footprint. Fagerheim
says the four new arrivals will be “more fuelefficient”
than those of previous generations and this
will allow WWL to bring down fuel consumption and
reduce emissions. The exhaust gas energy will also
be recovered to generate the entire electrical need at
sea,” adds Fagerheim. Fuel-efficient vessels will be
even more important in the future as the oil prices
look set to remain stubbornly high for the foreseeable
future.
On top of this the vessels will have a special bilge
water separator and use biodegradable stern tube oil,
thereby reducing emissions into the sea.
Fagerheim concludes, ”We will definitely be at the
forefront of shipping technology when these vessels
come out.”