On December 6 we celebrated the naming ceremony of the RoRo vessel MV Nabucco at the Port of Gothenburg. The vessel and its sister ships are among the most sustainable RoRo vessels in the global fleet.
The ceremony was live-streamed from Gothenburg, with only a select group attending due to the recent increase in Covid cases. MV Nabucco is the last in a line of four HERO class sister ships.
To signify the vessel’s sustainable features, and the company’s ambitious sustainability agenda, a bottle-shaped ice sculpture was smashed against the hull. The godparents, sustainable battery company and Wallenius Wilhemsen customer, Northvolt, presented Captain Fredrik Krysén with a battery to keep onboard as a reminder that both companies are committed to a decarbonized world.
In his speech, Acting CEO Torbjørn Wist said: “This vessel is at the forefront when it comes to minimizing carbon emissions, ship recycling and fuel efficiency. She is our last vessel based on conventional fuel technology and we now look towards the next generation of energy solutions.”
“We thank Tianjin Xingang Shipbuilding for their effort in building this amazing vessel, and all the employees in Wallenius Marine and Wallenius Wilhelmsen who have worked on this project,” said Torbjørn.
Reduced energy consumption
Nabucco and its sister ships are among the most sustainable RoRo vessels in the global fleet. The HERO class reduces energy consumption by dramatically improving the cargo to ballast ratio. As the increased beam (36.5m) provides better stability, there is less need for ballast water.
In addition, an optimized hull diminishes drag and wave resistance, improving fuel efficiency, while the engine has been tuned for low-load operation to reduce fuel consumption.
Built for heavy cargo
The HERO vessels are designed to further strengthen Wallenius Wilhlemsen’s competitive advantage in the high & heavy and breakbulk markets. The cargo hold on the Nabucco has been arranged with electrically hoistable deck panels, allowing for fast, safe and flexible operations to cater for variations in the cargo mix and enabling it to carry large and heavy (out-of-gauge) cargo.
The vessel was delivered by Tianjin Xingang Shipbuilding. She is now on her way to Zeebrugge for loading and will sail to the US, Asia and back to Europe.
Vessel facts:
- Capacity 7,700 vehicles
- Length: 200m
- Beam: 36.5
- Draft (max): 11.0 m
- DWT: 23890 MT
- GT: 73 358