Cicek Shipyard launches 25,000dwt bulk carrier design at SMM

The Turkish shipbuilder Cicek Shipyard has launched a new 25,000dwt bulk carrier design at the SMM 2008 exhibition in Hamburg (23 - 26 September). Full details are available from the company on Stand 540, Hall B4.

The current handy-size bulk carrier fleet is now ageing and Cicek believes that many owners will soon be placing orders for replacement tonnage that both meets new regulations and offers improved efficiency. Its new vessel, which was designed in-house, qualifies on both counts.

Berke Cicek, Vice President of Cicek Shipyard, provides more details:

"Our new double-hull design meets all current and anticipated environmental and safety regulations. In particular, it will qualify for the additional class notation CSR (Common Structural Rules) and will be compliant with the new Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC), which is intended to increase vessel safety and lifecycle by preventing corrosion.

"We have also concentrated on designing a vessel that is economical to operate. Many owners of older tonnage today are suffering because main engines built 15 or 20 years ago are expensive to run both in terms of bunkers and maintenance. We expect our vessel to operate with a crew of 22 and to maintain a service speed of 13 knots on just 21.5 tonnes a day.

"Further economies are expected due to the arrangement of the four holds, which are designed to be easily cleaned, thus saving time and labour."

The standard design features 35-tonne cranes, enabling larger than normal grabs to be used for bulk cargoes and for loading heavy unitised cargoes such as steel coil. Strengthening of the tank top to 20 tonnes/m2 and MacGregor hydraulic hatchcovers are also key features when it comes to increasing the speed of loading and discharge.

Although this 25,000-tonner is intended to be a standard design, Cicek is quite flexible and is happy to discuss with owners any special requirements they may have including different engine specifications for a higher service speed and alternative crane configurations. The yard is also able to offer delivery dates in 2010.

Principal particulars
Length (oa): 158.475m
Length (bp): 149.4m
Breadth: 25.00m
Depth: 13.25m
Design draft: 9.79m
Scantling draft: 9.924m

Deadweight: 25,000 tonnes
Main engine: MAN B&W 8S35MC 5920kW @ 173 rev/min
Service speed: 13 knots at 85% mcr

-ends-

Notes to editors:

A downloadable photograph to accompany the press release is available at http://www.dunelmpr.co.uk/Cicek-Photogallery.htm. The caption reads:

"The Turkish shipbuilder Cicek Shipyard has launched a new 25,000dwt bulk carrier design that both meets new regulations and offers improved efficiency."

Cicek Shipyard, located in Tuzla Bay, has two slipways and a panamax-sized building dock.

Construction of vessels in the building dock began in 2006. The first and still the only such facility in Turkey, it is served by a 300 tonne gantry crane and has already been used to construct four IMO II chemical tankers. The building dock is currently being extended to 250m in length.

Construction of smaller ships takes place on two slipways. The larger one is 160m in length and is served by a 200-tonne gantry crane. A smaller slipway suitable for building coastal vessels is currently being used for the construction of four 3,150 dwt IMO II chemical tankers for delivery in 2008.

CSR and PSPC

The purpose of CSR is to establish requirements for reducing the risks of structural failure in order to help safeguard life, property and the environment. The rules also aim to provide requirements to ensure the adequate durability of the hull structure for the design life. According to the Norwegian classification society, Det Norske Veritas, the most important design basis for the CSR is the 25-year design life. Although this has not previously been stated explicitly, the classification societies have based their existing rules on a 20-year design life. The 25-year design life in CSR makes a difference with respect to loads, fatigue, corrosion and coating.

PSPC is a new Performance Standard for Protective Coatings for dedicated seawater ballast tanks of all types of ships and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers.