Next generation of container ships takes to the seas |
| Sunday, 15 November 2009 |
Think those massive container ships we see gliding up the Savannah River to Georgia Ports Authority docks couldn´t get much bigger? Guess again. French shipping line CMA CGM Group took delivery this week of its largest container ship yet, offering a glimpse of what the on-the-water future of the container shipping industry will look like - especially after 2014.
At nearly 1,200 feet long, 168 feet wide and drafting at 51 feet, the energy efficient, 13,300 TEU-capacity Christophe Colomb is among the largest of a new generation of container ships ordered when times were good and now arriving in the middle of a downturn in shipping demand.
Nevertheless, CMA CGM - also suffering from the slowdown - said in a news release the launch of its latest flagship "proves the group´s ability to move forward in the current economic context."
CMA CGM, the third-largest container shipper in the world, will deploy its newest flagship on a 10-vessel line operated in partnership with Maersk, which will provide the other nine ships.
Scheduled to operate in Asia and Europe, the vessel started its first rotation Wednesday in Shanghai before heading to Ningbo on Thursday.
Next port of call will be Xiamen on Saturday, then Hong Kong on Sunday and Yantian on Monday.
Leaving China, crossing the Indian Ocean and transiting the Suez Canal, the Colomb will arrive in Algeciras, Spain, on Dec. 3 before calling on Rotterdam four days later and, finally, Bremerhaven, Germany, on Dec. 9.
Although it will be a while before a container ship the size of the Christophe Colomb can call on the Port of Savannah - the Panama Canal and Savannah Harbor expansion projects are still a few years out - its launch serves as a reminder that the new generation of ships is on the way, says GPA spokesman Robert Morris.
"The Savannah Harbor Expansion is moving ahead and on target to allow us to be ready in 2014 when the newly widened Panama Canal opens, sending these larger ships to the East Coast," he said.
Cranes cut fuel consumption
While the Christophe Colomb´s high-tech propulsion efficiency and modern hydrodynamics are designed to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4 percent, maritime greening also is taking place closer to home.
With the assembly of 11 new rubber-tired gantry cranes now complete at its Garden City Terminal, Georgia Ports Authority can look forward to saving more than 83,000 gallons of diesel in the next year.
Besides typical generational upgrades, the newer models are designed with a power management system that operates at variable speeds, burning an average of 4 gallons of diesel per hour - a 33 percent savings compared with the existing fleet´s average consumption.
"Our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment is a top priority for the GPA," said GPA Executive Director Doug Marchand. "As part of our environmental policy, the GPA looks at new capital improvement projects from the outset for ways to implement them in a more environmentally friendly manner. On several occasions, we have improved efficiency, increased cost savings and reduced negative environmental impacts - all in the same project."
In July, the GPA conducted a study to determine the fuel burn-rate of its RTG cranes. At the time, the fleet consisted of 60 machines operating at a constant engine speed of 1,800 rpm. On average, the older RTGs burn 6 gallons of fuel per hour.
In the next few weeks, the GPA will test two-speed upgrades on its older RTGs with the goal of achieving a more efficient level of energy use in those as well.
In addition, GPA´s entire fleet of container handling equipment is being retrofitted with engine exhaust enhancements to reduce air emissions as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant.
Source: Savannahnow |
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