The cascade effect of ultra large container vessels

The continued influx of new ultra large container vessels onto the main Far East-Europe trades has led to a large number of vessels being cascaded onto other trade lanes that historically have been served by smaller vessels. One area that has seen the size of vessels increase dramatically in recent years is the Latin American trades. According to figures from Drewry Maritime Research, between July 2010 and July 2013 the average ship size on the Asia-East Coast South America trades grew from 4,193 teu to 6,422 teu, an increase of 41 per cent. On the Europe-East Coast South America trade, the average ship size grew from 4,420 teu to 6,422 teu, an increase of 45.3 per cent. And on the third trade area, Asia-West Coast South America, the average size increased by 87 per cent, from 3,289 teu to 6,165 teu.

As of September 2013, the largest capacity vessels deployed on services to South America were as follows:

Europe-East Coast – 8,762 teu

South America – (MSC Agadir class)

Asia-East Coast – 9,669 teu

South America – (Hamburg Süd Cap San Class)

Asia-West Coast – 9,178 teu

South America – (MSC Candice)

While a number of major lines have cascaded larger tonnage onto their South America services, the vessels themselves may not be ideally suited for these trades. Many of the South American ports are draught restricted so larger vessels may have restrictions. They may also have less reefer capacity than is ideal for a trade that has a high reefer requirement.

One line that does, however, have vessels suited to this trade is South American trade specialist Hamburg Süd. The line is part of the Oetker Group, a large family-owned German conglomerate with a food brand – Dr Oetker – that is a household name in many countries. The group’s other interests include a bank, publishing and insurance, as well as a number of luxury hotels across Europe.

Hamburg Süd is currently ranked 12th in the world in terms of capacity and has been a specialist on the trades between the northern and southern hemispheres since well before the dawn of containerisation. In order to maintain its leading position on this increasingly competitive trade lane the company is in the process of receiving a series of new vessels that are being built specifically for deployment on the South American trades.

In March 2011 the line placed an order for ten vessels with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co (HHI), currently the world’s largest shipbuilder. The vessels are being constructed at HHI’s shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. In June 2013 Hamburg Süd ordered an additional three units, bringing the total in the class to 13. The first six vessels are directly owned by the German carrier; the following four have been ordered via Greek non-operating shipowner Enesel, which will charter them to Hamburg Süd on a long-term basis. The last three in the series will also be directly owned by Hamburg Süd.

The new vessels, known as the Cap San class, are the largest in Hamburg Süd’s fleet, which currently comprises 43 owned and 65 chartered vessels. With a capacity of 9,669 teu they are the largest vessels deployed on any of the South America trades. What sets this new class apart from others is their high reefer capacity – each has 2,100 reefer plugs. This means that they hold the record for the largest reefer capacity of any ship afloat today. Their high reefer capacity is just one way in which their design has been optimised specifically for the South American trade.

The vessels have an overall length of 333.2m and a width of 48.26m, which is the maximum possible width for the new Panama Canal locks. They are 33m longer and 5m wider than the company’s 7,100 teu Santa class vessels that were built by South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) between 2010 and 2012.

During the design stage Hamburg Süd worked closely with FutureShip, a subsidiary of Germanischer Lloyd (GL), to further optimise HHI’s original hullform. FutureShip used its advanced simulation technology to design the most fuel-efficient hull while allowing the maximum possible container intake.

The new vessels have been designed to maximise container capacity, while taking into account the draught limitations of many of the South American ports at which they will call. They have a relatively shallow design draught of 14m, but their capacity has been increased by widening the beam to allow 19 rows of containers on deck, and by incorporating the latest split superstructure design known as ‘twin island’. The bridge and accommodation superstructure is located at the one-third forward position, while the engineroom and funnel are at the three-quarters aft position. This modern design improves bridge visibility and vessel stability and enables an increased on-deck container intake.

The vessels have deadweight of 124,458 tons. Thanks to their dimensions they fit nicely between the more common compact 9,000 teu wide-beam ships of 300m, with 19 rows of containers on deck, and the typical neo-Panamaxes of 365m with 19 rows on deck that have a capacity of around 13,000 teu.

The quoted container intake of 9,669 teu would seem slightly lower than it should be, when these vessels are compared to others of similar dimensions. In fact, HHI quotes a capacity of 10,500 teu while detailed onboard information states a capacity of 11,503 teu. The latter seems more appropriate for vessels with Cap San class dimensions.

The reduced container intake could be due to a number of factors. Firstly, due to their specific design for the South American trades, the moderate design draught of 14m may have reduced capacity. Most neo-Panamax vessels have a draught of 15m. Secondly, with such a high reefer capacity additional auxiliary generators have been installed. These require more space and additional room for bunkers. A total of five HHI Himsen units are installed, each producing 4,320kW, together with a Doosan 400kW emergency generator.

Another explanation could be that Hamburg Süd has been more economical than other lines with regard to the number of containers that can be stowed on deck. Many similar ships now allow up to nine tiers of containers on deck, usually to accommodate a higher number of empty units. The Cap San series vessels allow up to eight tiers on all bays except the very aft bay which allows nine.

In line with most new ships, smaller more efficient engines have been installed to improve fuel efficiency. Main propulsion is supplied by a single, 7-cylinder MAN B&W 7S90ME-C9.2 super long stroke engine which produces a maximum continuous power rating of 40,670kW at 84 rpm. This drives a single five-bladed fixed pitch propeller and gives a maximum speed of 21.5 knots. The ships have been designed to be ultra fuel-efficient and are capable of slow steaming, which has become a requirement for all modern container ships.

The Cap San vessels are equipped with the latest environmentally friendly technology which includes the ballast water treatment system. The main function of these systems is to clear all living organisms, such as the prolific zebra mussel, from the ballast water before it is pumped out of the vessel, so ensuring that alien organisms do not establish themselves in new environments.

The ballast water treatment system installed on board the vessels consists of a preliminary filter stage and a main mechanical treatment stage for the physical treatment of the water. Once the water has been filtered a low-pressure ultra violet (UV) emitter is used to destroy the smallest organisms. UV rays reliably kill all organisms and the use of this system ensures that levels within the water are considerably lower than IMO rules stipulate when they come into force. A key reason for using this type of treatment system was to avoid the use of chemicals for the treatment of ballast water. As is standard on board vessels nowadays, all ballast water is exchanged during the sea voyage to further reduce the chances of invasive species spreading, depending on the vessel's trading area.

The vessels have a usual crew complement of 30, with room for up to six additional Suez Canal crew. Like many other Hamburg Süd-operated vessels, the company offers travel for paying passengers and provides a well-appointed owner’s cabin for up to two passengers who want to experience modern container ship travel. An indoor pool, gymnasium and even a sauna are available for use by the crew as well as passengers.

Hamburg Süd has traditionally used the Cap San names for many of its vessels. The names were originally given to a series of six 11,000 dwt general cargo ships designed by naval architect Caesar Pinnau. The vessels were built in 1961 and 1962 at three different shipyards in Germany and are considered to be some of the best looking types of cargo ship ever built. The youngest ship of the series, Cap San Diego, has been preserved as a floating museum and is permanently moored in the inner port of Hamburg. The names of the last three vessels are as yet unknown. They are due to be delivered by the end of this year.

All the vessels are being deployed on Hamburg Süd’s services between Asia and East Coast South America and between Europe and East Coast South America, which it operates in conjunction with Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC). CST