b'18American Journal ofTransportation ajot.comsizeasMPPsaredesignedthe bow of the ship, with the to fulfill a specialized niche.twocraneslocatedportside. AndBBCCharteringsnewThisallowsforanunob-LakerMax Class are an exam- structed 2,830 sqm of space ple of building to that niche.on the weather deck. The two Thevesselsweredesignedcargoholdsareboxshaped toreplaceBBCstraditionaland offer nearly 26,000 cbm F-Classshipswithvessels(cubic meters) of cargo floor of similar size but with thespace offering close to 5,000 emphasisplacedonamas- sqm, when two tween decks sivelyhigherutilizationofare in operation.the available cargo hold andAsthenamesimplies deck space, according to thetheLakerMaxvesselswere LeerGermany-basedBriesedesigned to fit in both the St Groupthe parent of BBCLawrenceSeawayandGreat Chartering, the vessel opera- Lakes.AndinMaytheMV AAL has launched six methanol-ready Super-B MPP ships. tor.OnMay21st,2024,BBCHoustoncompletedher Briesetookitsfirstofthefirstpassagesthroughthe (TRANSITIONcontinuedapproach to going big with aofcargo,withthree350mtfifteen LakerMax Class new- GreatLakes-St.Lawrence from, page 10) new generation of MPP shipsheavy lift cranes. The vesselsbuildings,theappropriatelySeawaySystemintoLake drycargo,rangingfromwith the Super B-Class 32,000twolargebox-shapedcargonamed MV BBC Leer.Erieandback,markingthe paperproducts,bulkcargo,dwt heavy lifters So far, withholds feature adjustable pon- The13,000dwtMPPinaugural voyage for a Laker-projectcargoandcontain- June launch of the MV AALtoon triple decks and no centervessels are equipped with twoMaxthroughthewaterways ers.TheseFinnish/SwedishDamman,thecompanyhasline bulkhead. The units haveLiebherrLS250shipboardfor which they were designed. 1AIce-Classedvesselswilllaunched six of the methanol- a length of 179.9 meters (590cranes, with a combined lift- And like all vessels populating measure 203.25 m [667 ft] inready Super-B MPP ships. Asfeet)andabreadthof30ing capacity of up to 500 mt.thisnewgenerationofMPPs length,28.25min[93feet]Stewart Chen AALs Researchmeters (98 feet). Bridgeandcrewaccommo- the emphasis on versatility and width, and will have a maxi- andAnalyticsManagersaidStill, it isnt necessarily aboutdationarelocatedtowardsefficiency shows through.mum draft of 10.5 m. [34 ft].oftheSuper-Bslastyear, AndtheywillhaveatotalBuiltwithmethanol-ready capacity of about 33,700 m3engines,next-generationhull [1,190,108 cu/ft] and a dead- coatings, and advanced route weight of 28,600 mt, [31,526optimizationsoftware,these tons] making them the largest32,000-deadweight heavy lift-vessels in the Spliethoff fleet.ersareservicinglargerand Spliethoffsaystheenergy- more complex cargoes across efficientMPPsaredesigneddynamic sectors like offshore withslenderhulllinesandenergy. We can now transport are setup for the use of futuremore cargo units per voyage, fuels.Thevessels,withthereducingthenumberofsail-bridgelocatednearthebowingsrequiredandlowering will be equipped with five liftsoverall GHG emissions. But (side loaders) and three cranesthe Super-Bs are also about lift withacapacityof150mtcapabilities and freight capac-each,combinableto300mtity.AALseightheavylift-SWL (Safe Working Load).erscanhandleover150,000 AAL has taken a similarFRT[FreightRevenueTons]LakerMax vessels were designed to fit in both the St Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes. DELAWARERIVER STEVEDORES, INC. DRS is one of the largest and most capable cargo handling companies in the Mid-Atlantic region. Operating at multiple locations in the ports of Camden, Philadelphia and Wilmington, DRS offers experienced waterfront labor and an array of specialized equipment and stevedoring gear for breakbulk, projects, heavy lift and ro-ro cargoes. www.d-r-s.comBalzano Terminal *Tioga Marine Terminal * Southport, NC856-541-2773215-790-4447910-452-8358'