Maersk Triple E class
Encyclopedia
The Maersk Triple E class is a planned family of large, fuel-efficient container ship
s, designed as a successor to the Mærsk E-class. In February 2011, Maersk awarded Daewoo Shipbuilding
a US$1.9 billion contract to build twenty of the ships.
The name "Triple E" is derived from the class's three design principles: "Economy of scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved". These ships are expected to be not only the world's largest ships in service, but also the most efficient containerships per twenty-foot equivalent unit
(TEU) of cargo.
The ships will be 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) long and 59 metres (193.6 ft) wide. While only 3 metres (9.8 ft) longer and 4 metres (13.1 ft) wider than E-class ships, the Triple E ships will be able to carry 2,500 more containers. With a draft of 14.5 metres (47.6 ft), they will be too deep to use any port in the Americas or cross the Panama Canal
, but will be able to transit the Suez Canal
when sailing between Europe
and Asia
.
One of the class's main design features is the dual 43000 hp ultra-long stroke two-stroke diesel engines, driving two propellers at a design speed of 19 knots. Slower than its predecessors, this class uses a strategy known as "slow-steaming", which is expected to lower fuel consumption by 37% and carbon dioxide emissions per container by 50%. The Triple E design helped Maersk win a "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award in July 2011.
Maersk plans to use the ships to service routes between Europe and Asia, projecting that Chinese exports will continue to grow. The Europe-Asia trade represents the company's largest market; it already has 100 ships serving this route. Maersk hopes to consolidate its share of the Europe-Asia trade with the addition of the Triple-E class ships.
, with an emphasis on lower fuel consumption. They will be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding
in South Korea
; the initial order, for ten ships, was valued at US$1.9 billion; Maersk had options to buy a further twenty ships. (2 trillion Korean Won
). In June 2011, Maersk announced that 10 more ships had been ordered for $1.9bn, but an option for a third group of ten ships would not be exercised. Payment of the ship is "tail-heavy": 40% while the ship is being built, and the remaining 60% paid on delivery. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2014.
Many previous containerships had been built at Maersk's Odense Steel Shipyard
in Denmark
, but Asian builders are now considered more competitively priced. Maersk had approached several different builders in Asia, having ruled out European shipbuilders (for cost reasons) and Chinese (for technology reasons).
Investment in more-efficient ships helped Maersk win the "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award from Petromedia Group's on-line publication sustainableshipping.com in July 2011.
design: It has twin diesel engine
s, each driving a separate propeller
. Usually a single engine is more efficient, but using two propellers allows a better distribution of pressure, increasing propeller efficiency more than the disadvantage of using two engines.
The engines have waste heat recovery (WHR) systems; these are also used in 20 other Mærsk vessels including the eight E-class ships
. The name "Triple E class" highlights three design principles: "Economy of scale, energy efficient and environmentally improved".
The twin-skeg principle also means that the engines can be lower and further back, allowing more room for cargo. Maersk requires ultra-long stroke two-stroke engines resulting in lower RPM, but this requires more propeller area for the same effect, and such a combination is only possible with two propellers due to the low water depth of the desired route.
A slower speed of 19 knots is targeted as the optimum, compared to the 23–26 knots of similar ships. The top speed would be 25 knots, but steaming at 20 knots would reduce fuel consumption by 37%, and at 17.5 knots fuel consumption would be halved. These slower speeds would add 2–6 days to journey times.
The various environmental features are expected to cost $30 million per ship, of which the WHR is to cost $10 million. Carbon dioxide
emissions, per container, are expected to be 50% lower than emissions by typical ships on the Asia-Europe route and 20% lower than Emma Maersk. These will be the most efficient containerships in the world, per TEU.
The hull is more 'boxy' with a U-shape compared to the V-shape of Maersk's E-class; this allows more containers to be stored at lower levels, so while the Triple-E is only 3m wider and 4m longer, it can carry 2,500 more containers, an increase of 16%. The Triple-E can carry 23 rows of containers compared to 22 of the E-class, which makes better use of the reach of current terminal cranes.
The deckhouse is relatively further forward, whilst the engines are to the rear; similar to CMA CGM
's Christophe Colomb class of containerships, also built by Daewoo. The forward deckhouse allows containers to be stacked higher in front of the bridge (which further increases capacity) whilst still maintaining forward visibility good enough to comply with SOLAS
regulation V/22.
When the class was ordered, no port in the Americas
could handle ships of their size. Suitable ports include Shanghai
, Ningbo
, Xiamen
, Yantian and Hong Kong
in Asia, and Rotterdam
, Bremerhaven and Felixstowe
in Europe. The ships will be too big for the New Panamax
sized locks on the Panama Canal
, and their main route is expected to be Asia-Europe (through the Suez Canal
). The draft
of the Triple-E is 14.5m, less than the SuezMax
requirement of 52.6 ft (16 m) at 59m beam. Handling equipment at ports was the main constraint on size, rather than the dimensions of canals or straits.
and Asia
. In 2008, there was a reduction in demand for container transport
, caused by recessions in many countries. This left shipping lines in financial difficulties in 2009, with surplus capacity. Some ships were laid up or scrapped
. However, there was a sudden resurgence of demand for container transport in 2010; Maersk posted its largest ever profit, and orders for new ships increased, leading to fresh concerns about future overcapacity. Slow steaming is one way of managing capacity and reducing fuel consumption; the Triple E Class is designed for slower speeds than Maersk's preceding class of large container ships. Nonetheless, this order for many big ships is a gamble, on Maersk's part, that Chinese exports
will continue to grow. Maersk already uses approximately 100 ships on the Asia-Europe route, which is their most important.
Maersk's has long dominated the container shipping market, but market share has stagnated since acquiring P&O Nedlloyd
in 2005. The order of twenty very large ships will help consolidate Maersk's share of the market.
The construction of newer, larger ships has influenced development plans at ports such as London Gateway
.
Container ship
Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
s, designed as a successor to the Mærsk E-class. In February 2011, Maersk awarded Daewoo Shipbuilding
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd ' is the second largest shipbuilder in the world and one of the "Big Three" shipbuilders of South Korea.On 21 February 2011, the A. P...
a US$1.9 billion contract to build twenty of the ships.
The name "Triple E" is derived from the class's three design principles: "Economy of scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved". These ships are expected to be not only the world's largest ships in service, but also the most efficient containerships per twenty-foot equivalent unit
Twenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
(TEU) of cargo.
The ships will be 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) long and 59 metres (193.6 ft) wide. While only 3 metres (9.8 ft) longer and 4 metres (13.1 ft) wider than E-class ships, the Triple E ships will be able to carry 2,500 more containers. With a draft of 14.5 metres (47.6 ft), they will be too deep to use any port in the Americas or cross the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, but will be able to transit the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
when sailing between Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
One of the class's main design features is the dual 43000 hp ultra-long stroke two-stroke diesel engines, driving two propellers at a design speed of 19 knots. Slower than its predecessors, this class uses a strategy known as "slow-steaming", which is expected to lower fuel consumption by 37% and carbon dioxide emissions per container by 50%. The Triple E design helped Maersk win a "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award in July 2011.
Maersk plans to use the ships to service routes between Europe and Asia, projecting that Chinese exports will continue to grow. The Europe-Asia trade represents the company's largest market; it already has 100 ships serving this route. Maersk hopes to consolidate its share of the Europe-Asia trade with the addition of the Triple-E class ships.
Orders and history
In February 2011, Maersk announced orders for a new "Triple E" family of containerships with a capacity of 18,000 TEUTwenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
, with an emphasis on lower fuel consumption. They will be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd ' is the second largest shipbuilder in the world and one of the "Big Three" shipbuilders of South Korea.On 21 February 2011, the A. P...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
; the initial order, for ten ships, was valued at US$1.9 billion; Maersk had options to buy a further twenty ships. (2 trillion Korean Won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
). In June 2011, Maersk announced that 10 more ships had been ordered for $1.9bn, but an option for a third group of ten ships would not be exercised. Payment of the ship is "tail-heavy": 40% while the ship is being built, and the remaining 60% paid on delivery. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2014.
Many previous containerships had been built at Maersk's Odense Steel Shipyard
Odense Steel Shipyard
Odense Steel Shipyard located in Odense, Denmark was constructed in 1918–1919 by the A.P. Møller company and will be closed sometime in 2012. A new yard with bigger and better facilities was constructed 1957–1959 on a new site located in Munkebo a few kilometres outside of Odense proper...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, but Asian builders are now considered more competitively priced. Maersk had approached several different builders in Asia, having ruled out European shipbuilders (for cost reasons) and Chinese (for technology reasons).
Investment in more-efficient ships helped Maersk win the "Sustainable Ship Operator of the Year" award from Petromedia Group's on-line publication sustainableshipping.com in July 2011.
Design
Propulsion
Unlike conventional single-engined container ships, the new class of ships is expected to be a twin-skegSkeg
A skeg is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line. The term also applies to the lowest point on an outboard motor or the outdrive of an inboard/outboard...
design: It has twin diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s, each driving a separate propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. Usually a single engine is more efficient, but using two propellers allows a better distribution of pressure, increasing propeller efficiency more than the disadvantage of using two engines.
The engines have waste heat recovery (WHR) systems; these are also used in 20 other Mærsk vessels including the eight E-class ships
Mærsk E-class
The Maersk E Series comprises eight 14,770 twenty-foot equivalent unit container ships. Each sister ship bear names beginning with the letter "E", tie for the largest container ship ever constructed, and are the longest ships currently in use at 397 metres long and 56 metres wide. They are owned...
. The name "Triple E class" highlights three design principles: "Economy of scale, energy efficient and environmentally improved".
The twin-skeg principle also means that the engines can be lower and further back, allowing more room for cargo. Maersk requires ultra-long stroke two-stroke engines resulting in lower RPM, but this requires more propeller area for the same effect, and such a combination is only possible with two propellers due to the low water depth of the desired route.
A slower speed of 19 knots is targeted as the optimum, compared to the 23–26 knots of similar ships. The top speed would be 25 knots, but steaming at 20 knots would reduce fuel consumption by 37%, and at 17.5 knots fuel consumption would be halved. These slower speeds would add 2–6 days to journey times.
The various environmental features are expected to cost $30 million per ship, of which the WHR is to cost $10 million. Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
emissions, per container, are expected to be 50% lower than emissions by typical ships on the Asia-Europe route and 20% lower than Emma Maersk. These will be the most efficient containerships in the world, per TEU.
Dimensions and layout
The ships are expected to be the world's largest when they enter service. A few larger ships have been built, but they were all oil supertankers and have now been scrapped; Seawise Giant was the largest of all.The hull is more 'boxy' with a U-shape compared to the V-shape of Maersk's E-class; this allows more containers to be stored at lower levels, so while the Triple-E is only 3m wider and 4m longer, it can carry 2,500 more containers, an increase of 16%. The Triple-E can carry 23 rows of containers compared to 22 of the E-class, which makes better use of the reach of current terminal cranes.
The deckhouse is relatively further forward, whilst the engines are to the rear; similar to CMA CGM
CMA CGM
CMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Jacques Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 200 shipping routes between 400 ports in 150 different countries...
's Christophe Colomb class of containerships, also built by Daewoo. The forward deckhouse allows containers to be stacked higher in front of the bridge (which further increases capacity) whilst still maintaining forward visibility good enough to comply with SOLAS
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime safety treaty. The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.- History :The first version of the...
regulation V/22.
When the class was ordered, no port in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
could handle ships of their size. Suitable ports include Shanghai
Port of Shanghai
The Port of Shanghai, located in the vicinity of Shanghai, comprises a deep-sea port and a river port.In 2010, Shanghai port overtook Singapore port to become the world's busiest container port...
, Ningbo
Port of Ningbo
Port of Ningbo is one of the most important and busiest ports in mainland China. It is located on the rich coastal province of Zhejiang. The port is at the crossroad of the north-south shipping route and the important waterway of the Yangtze River...
, Xiamen
Port of Xiamen
The Port of Xiamen is an important deep water port located in the mouth of the Jiulongjiang River on the southern coastline of Fujian province in the People's Republic of China . It is one of the trunk line ports in the Asia-Pacific region. It is ranked the 8th largest container port in the PRC,...
, Yantian and Hong Kong
Port of Hong Kong
The Port of Hong Kong, located by the South China Sea, is a deepwater seaport dominated by trade in containerised manufactured products, and to a lesser extent raw materials and passengers. A key factor in the economic development of Hong Kong, the natural shelter and deep waters of Victoria...
in Asia, and Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
, Bremerhaven and Felixstowe
Port of Felixstowe
The Port of Felixstowe, in Felixstowe, Suffolk is the UK's busiest container port, dealing with 35% of the country's container cargo. It was developed following the abandonment of a project for a deep-water harbour at Maplin Sands. In 2005, it was ranked as the 28th busiest container port in the...
in Europe. The ships will be too big for the New Panamax
Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
sized locks on the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, and their main route is expected to be Asia-Europe (through the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
). The draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of the Triple-E is 14.5m, less than the SuezMax
Suezmax
Suezmax is a naval architecture term for the largest ship measurements capable of transiting the Suez Canal, and is almost exclusively used in reference to tankers. Since the canal has no locks, the only serious limiting factors are draft , and height due to the Suez Canal Bridge...
requirement of 52.6 ft (16 m) at 59m beam. Handling equipment at ports was the main constraint on size, rather than the dimensions of canals or straits.
Specifications
- Capacity: 18000 TEUTwenty-foot equivalent unitThe twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
- Length: 400 metres
- DraftDraft (hull)The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
: 14.5 metres - BeamBeam (nautical)The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
: 59 metres - Height: 73 metres
- Optimum speed: 19 knots
- Top speed: 25 knots
- DeadweightDeadweight tonnageDeadweight tonnage is a measure of how much weight a ship is carrying or can safely carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew...
: 165,000 tonnes - Engines: Twin MANMAN Diesel & TurboMAN Diesel & Turbo SE is multinational company based in Germany that produces large-bore diesel engines for railway-locomotives, marine propulsion systems, power plant applications and turbochargers. The company was formed in 2010 from the merger of MAN Diesel and MAN Turbo...
ultra-long stroke diesel engines, rated at 43,000 hp each, with fuel consumption of 168 g/kWh - Propellers: Twin propellers, with 4 blades, 9.8 m in diameter
Market
Maersk plans to use the ships on routes between EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In 2008, there was a reduction in demand for container transport
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
, caused by recessions in many countries. This left shipping lines in financial difficulties in 2009, with surplus capacity. Some ships were laid up or scrapped
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
. However, there was a sudden resurgence of demand for container transport in 2010; Maersk posted its largest ever profit, and orders for new ships increased, leading to fresh concerns about future overcapacity. Slow steaming is one way of managing capacity and reducing fuel consumption; the Triple E Class is designed for slower speeds than Maersk's preceding class of large container ships. Nonetheless, this order for many big ships is a gamble, on Maersk's part, that Chinese exports
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
will continue to grow. Maersk already uses approximately 100 ships on the Asia-Europe route, which is their most important.
Maersk's has long dominated the container shipping market, but market share has stagnated since acquiring P&O Nedlloyd
P&O Nedlloyd
P&O Nedlloyd Container Line Limited was an Anglo-Dutch worldwide ocean-going container shipping line, with dual headquarters in London and Rotterdam. The company was formed in 1997 by the merger of the container-shipping interests of the leading Dutch transportation company Royal Nedlloyd and the...
in 2005. The order of twenty very large ships will help consolidate Maersk's share of the market.
The construction of newer, larger ships has influenced development plans at ports such as London Gateway
London Gateway
London Gateway is a major new development under construction on the north bank of the River Thames in Thurrock, Essex. It comprises a large new deep-water port, which will be able to handle the biggest container ships in the world, as well as one of Europe’s largest logistics parks, providing...
.