China's first giants - DNV GL to class SWS built ULCS

DNV GL signed a newbuilding classification agreement with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS) for the classification of three 20,000-TEU ultra large container ships (ULCS) for COSCO Container Lines Co., Ltd. (COSCON).

Scheduled for delivery beginning in January 2018, the vessels will be dual classed by DNV GL and China Classification Society (CCS) and will be deployed in the Far East-Europe trade.

Designed by the Marine Design & Research Institute of China (MARIC), this next generation ULCS represents the first 20,000-TEU plus container ship contracted to be built in China. Developed around the concept of "safe, green and economic". the design also takes into consideration COSCON's operational requirements with a focus on efficiencies in both fuel consumption and cargo load.

The vessels will have DNV GL's Gas Ready notation, which will give COSCON a much easier pathway for a future conversion to operation with LNG as fuel if so desired. They will also have DNV GL's Route Specific Container Stowage (RSCS) notation, which offers further efficiency gains in the vessel's cargo capacity.

The RSCS notation was developed by DNV GL to provide an even more efficient usage of cargo capacity by giving more flexibility for laden containers on board on specific routes.

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