Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced Friday (Apr24) that it delivered the bulk carrier ROYAL ORION, with a capacity of 61,000 DWT (Kawasaki hull No. 1747), for LEO OCEAN,S.A.
Delivery, principal particulars, and features of the vessel are as described below.
Principal Particulars
| Length overall | 199.90 m |
| Length between perpendiculars | 197.00 m |
| Molded breadth | 32.24 m |
| Molded depth | 18.60 m |
| Molded draft | 13.00 m |
| Gross tonnage | 34,793 |
| Deadweight | 61,170 t |
| Hold capacity | 77,539 m3 |
| Main engine | One set of MAN B&W 6S50ME-B9.5 diesel engine Maximum continuous output: 8,130 kW at 108 rpm |
| Service Speed | Approx. 14.5 kn |
| Complement | 25 people |
| Classification | Lloyd's Register of Shipping (LR) |
| Country of registration | Panama |
Features:
- ROYAL ORION is the first vessel (aside from LNG carriers) to be equipped with a ship operation management system called SOPass*1, which monitors and analyzes propulsion and fuel efficiencies, as well as main engine performance. While the vessel is sailing, SOPass remotely monitors and analyzes the data sent from the vessel at the onshore facility. This allows real-time checks of various performances, and thus contributes to reduction of life-cycle costs.
- In order to satisfy new restrictions on SOx emissions*2 which is implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in this year **, the vessel includes a set of SOx scrubber*3 at the exhaust gas outlets of the main engine and the power generation engine. With this system, general fuel oil can be used continuously after the regulations are tightened, without the need of switching to low sulfur fuel oil.
- The vessel incorporates various energy saving technologies, which reduce both fuel consumption and emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), thereby complying with the EEDI*4 Phase 1 requirements.
- The vessel has a flush deck with a forecastle and five holds that are designed for optimum transport of grains, coal, ores and steel products and so on. Four deck cranes with 30 ton lifting capacity are installed along the center in between the hatch covers to enable cargo loading and unloading in ports that lack cargo handling facilities.
- The vessel employs various technologies to achieve maximum fuel economy, including an energy-saving, electronically-controlled main diesel engine, a bow designed to reduce wave resistance, high propulsive efficiency propellers, and the Kawasaki Rudder Bulb System with Fins (RBS-F) and Semi-Duct System with contra Fins (SDS-F), which all contribute to the vessel’s enhanced propulsion performance.
- SOPass (Ship Operation and Performance analysis support system) is Kawasaki’s proprietary system for real-time analysis of vessel performance, as well as for operational assistance.
- SOx emission control: Currently, SOx emission restrictions in North American and European emission control areas (ECAs) limit sulfur content in fuels to 0.1% or less. Starting on January 1, 2020, new regulations will require that ships operating in all other parts of the world achieve fuel sulfur content levels of 0.5% or less, or alternatively, use equipment to reduce SOx in exhaust gases to an equivalent level.
- SOx scrubber: an exhaust gas cleaning system, which removes SOx (sulfur oxide).
- EEDI: Energy Efficiency Design Index. Compulsory international regulations requiring energy-efficiency compliance in newly built ships based on EEDI values, which specify CO2 emissions in grams for transporting one ton of cargo for one mile. EEDI regulation values apply in increasingly strict phases based on the construction-contract conclusion date and finished-ship delivery date. By Phase 1, bulk carriers are required to achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions.