Page 64: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2015)

VESSELS

Imabari

Twin electric V-Pod pro-

Invests in pulsion and diesel-elec- tric technology com- bined.

ShipbuildingShipbuilding

Japanese Yard to Build World’s

Largest (20,000 TEU) Containerships

Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. se- cured newbuild orders with the coop- eration of Marubeni Corporation for eleven 20,000TEU Ultra-Large Con- tainer Carriers, when delivered the largest containerships in the world.

Image courtesy of Eastern Shipbuilding

The new ships, the ? rst of which is scheduled to be completed in early 2018, will measure approximately 400m long and 59m wide. Imabari has built more than 200 container car- riers, including the 4,800TEU Over-

Panamax type in 1995 that was then

Thunderbolt the largest in the world, as well as the 8,100TEU type in 2008.

In March this year, 14,000TEU

Eastern Delivers Innovative Towboat type, now the largest in Japan, is scheduled to be completed. Imabari

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. Thunderbolt diesel electric design. closes the appropriate main bus gen- explained it has been developing large introduced its new 120-ft., 4,200-hp The Thunderbolt has been designed erator breakers with load-sharing con- size container carriers in response to

Inland Towboat design, Thunderbolt, using ABS Class Rules for Building trollers. The pilot is free to utilize the increasing oceangoing cargo move- combining twin electric V-Pod propul- and Classing Steel Vessels for Ser- automated power management systems ment globally.

sion and diesel-electric technology for vice on Rivers and Intracoastal Water- as much or as little as the pilot deter-

In order to accommodate construc- what the builder calls its “vision of the ways-2014. It is also designed to the mines, allowing the pilot full control of tion of Ultra-Large newbuilding future for the U.S. inland waterways.” Proposed U.S. Coast Guard 46CFR the entire power management system at vessels including recently secured

Eastern said the idea for the Thunder- (Sub-Chapter M) Towing Vessel Rules all times. The enhanced performance of 20,000TEU Mega container ships bolt came from a conversation at a trade and IEEE 45 2002 Standards. V-Pod propulsion, diesel-electric with (about 400m in length and about 59m show. On the rivers, thruster propulsion Thunderbolt is a 120-ft. Inland River constant speed generator engines of- breadth), Imabari Shipbuilding Co., systems are starting to get noticed and Class Towboat with 690VAC diesel- fer less vibration and noise along with

Ltd. has decided to construct a large are outperforming conventional noz- electric and twin azimuthing Verhaar power management and automation all newbuilding drydock measuring 600 zle propeller propulsion systems with Omega electric V-Pod Propulsion result in lower operating costs, system x 80m on 100,000 sq. m. of reclaimed main/? anking rudder steering. Eastern Units. Cummins Mid-South, LLC pro- redundancy, increased safety, increased land located next to its Marugame

Shipbuilding Group, Inc. and Verhaar vided the generator package with three crew comfort and less crew fatigue.

Headquarters (Marugame City).

Omega, B.V. began discussions and identical diesel-electric power plants, Thunderbolt is equipped with twin

A permit has been granted by the realized they were driving towards a Cummins QSK38-DM. Each engine Verhaar Omega 690VAC electric V-

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, more re? ned towboat thruster propul- is rated EPA Tier 3, V-12 Cylinder, 38 POD units and twin Omega Propulsion

Transport and Tourism cor the con- sion system design. Eastern has deliv- Liter, 1,400HP at 1,800RPM Marine AFE/VFD Drives. The twin indepen- struction to be completed by the con- ered 19 diesel-electric offshore supply Diesel Engine. These three engines dent Verhaar Omega V-Pods have 360 sortium of Rinkai Construction Co., vessels starting in 2010 and 74 inland provide optimal fuel consumption with degree rotation and can rotate 180 de-

Ltd., Obayashi Corporation and Toyo towing vessels since 2007. The Thun- 4,200 total installed horsepower. Each grees in approximately 14 seconds. In

Construction Co., Ltd. Construction is derbolt design joins Eastern’s history engine also powers a Cummins AVK addition for superior maneuverability slated to begin next month and con- of building reliable vessels and is now DSG-74 water-cooled generator, which and precision, the twins V-Pods have clude in October 2016.

integrating its Tiger Shark Class die- can supply at 990kW, 690 VAC at 1,800 VFD-Reversing Induction Motors each

Imabari said it intends to invest sel-electric technology into a re? ned, RPM. This system performs with the at 1,320kW (1,770 HP). The V-Pods are about $331m for the Marugame new environmentally friendly, highly ma- Power Management System (PMS), installed from the top, avoiding emer- drydock including block factory and neuverable Inland Towboat design, the provided by Beier Radio, LLC to opti- gency dry-docking if a unit is damaged. three units of goriath cranes each hav- shipbuilder said. mize fuel consumption with superb ef- Sewart Supply, Inc. has been the U.S. ing 1,200ton hoisting capacity.

For more than a year Eastern Ship- ? ciency without sacri? cing power and Representative for Verhaar Omega for building worked with Gilbert Associ- performance. The IEM Marine, Inc. over 10 years, providing sales, parts ates, Inc. developing its new hybrid switchboard automatically starts and and repair services. 64 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MARCH 2015

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