MV Vale Rio de Janeiro

MV Vale Rio de Janeiro, owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale, is one of the world's largest very large ore carriers and a sister ship of Vale Brasil.[2] Designed to carry iron ore from Brazil to Asia (primer market China) along the Cape route around South Africa, she is the second of seven 400,000-tonne very large ore carriers (VLOC) ordered by Vale from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea and twelve from Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries in China.[5][6] While close to the specifications of Chinamax, these ships are generally referred to as Valemax vessels by Vale.[7]

Not to be confused with MS Rio de Janeiro.
MV Vale Rio de Janeiro, entering Rotterdam Europoort
History
Name: Vale Rio de Janeiro[1]
Owner: Vale Shipping Holding Pte. Ltd.[1]
Operator: Anglo Eastern Ship Management
Port of registry:  Singapore[1]
Route: Brazil to China[2]
Builder: Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd, South Korea[1]
Yard number: 1202[1]
Completed: September 2011[1]
Maiden voyage: September / October 2011 - South Korea to Ponta da Madeira
In service: 2011
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics [1]
Type: Bulk carrier
Classification: Det Norske Veritas
Tonnage:
  • 198,980 GT
  • 67,993 NT
  • 402,347 DWT
Length:
  • LOA 362.0 m (1,187.7 ft)
  • LPP 350.0 m (1,148.3 ft)
Beam: 65.0 m (213.3 ft)
Draught: 23.0 m (75.5 ft) (moulded)
Depth: 30.4 m (99.7 ft)
Main engine: MAN B&W 7S80ME-C8 (29,260 kW)[3]
Auxiliary engines: 3 × Hyundai-HiMSEN 6H21/32 (3 × 1,270 kW)[4]
Propulsion: Fixed-pitch propeller
Speed: 15.4 kn (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph)[4]
Crew: 33[4]

Design
Main article: Valemax

The overall length of the Vale Rio de Janeiro is 362.0 metres (1,187.7 ft), making her (with her sister ships) the largest bulk carrier(s) in the world. The breadth and depth of her hull are 65.0 metres (213.3 ft) and 30.4 metres (99.7 ft), respectively, giving her a gross tonnage of 198,980.[1]

The Vale Rio de Janeiro has seven cargo holds with a combined gross volume of 219,980 cubic metres and net tonnage of 67,993.[4] Her deadweight tonnage is 402,347 tons. When carrying a full load of iron ore, equal to around 11,150 trucks,[8] her draught is 23 metres (75.5 ft).[1] Like other very large ore carriers of her size, the Vale Brasil is limited to only a few deepwater ports in Brazil, Europe and China.

As of October 2011, Vale plans to set up a transhipment project off Subic bay. In addition to bringing in many more jobs for locals, this is expected to boost other industries in Subic bay, and put Philippines on the world map of Iron ore shipments. It is also expected to boost local industries like travel, hotels ship supplies and provisions.[9][10][11]

The Vale Rio de Janeiro is propelled by a single MAN B&W 7S80ME-C8 two-stroke low-speed diesel engine directly coupled to a fixed-pitch propeller.[1] The main engine, which has a maximum output of 29,260 kilowatts (39,240 hp) at 78 rpm, burns 96.7 tons of heavy fuel oil per day.[4][12] However, due to the large size of the vessel the emissions per cargo ton-mile are very low, making the Vale Brasil in fact one of the most efficient long-distance dry bulk carriers in service, and for this reason the ship received the Clean Ship award of 2011 in the Norwegian shipping exhibition Nor-Shipping. Vale has reported 35 % drop in emissions per ton of cargo in comparison to older ships.[3] Her service speed is 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph).[4]

The Vale Rio de Janeiro is classified by Det Norske Veritas with a class notation of 1A1 Ore Carrier ESP ES(O) E0 NAUT-OC BWM-E(s) IB-3 COAT-PSPC(B) CSA-2 BIS EL-2 TMON NAUTICUS(Newbuilding).[1]

Size record

The Vale Rio de Janeiro is considerably larger than the previous record-holder, Berge Stahl, in every respect. Both her gross tonnage and deadweight tonnage are larger than those of the Norwegian ship, 175,720 and 364,767 tons, respectively. While the draught of both ships is the same, the Vale Rio de Janeiro is also 20 metres (65.6 ft) longer and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wider than the Berge Stahl.[13] In addition the Vale Rio de Janeiro is larger and slightly longer than the four new 388,000-ton, 361-metre (1,184 ft) Chinamax bulk carriers Berge Bulk has ordered from China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.[14] Had the Vale Rio de Janeiro not been built, these ships would have become the largest bulk carriers in the world.

She is also the second largest ship currently in service by deadweight tonnage, second only to the TI class supertankers that have a deadweight tonnage of over 440,000 tons.[15]

Career

The Vale Rio de Janeiro received her first cargo at the Brazilian port Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira in October 2011 with the intention of discharging in China, however, she was rerouted to Rotterdam. She arrived in Rotterdam on 8 January 2012.[16] Although not confirmed by their owners it was rumored that there were problems in getting permission to enter Chinese ports with ships over 400,000 tons, even though many of the Valemax ships are actually built in China. [17]

400,000 tonne controversy

The Valemax size ships, all ordered for Vale, have a deadweight of just over 400,000 tonnes and the Chinese government probably considers them too large to enter Chinese ports. Because of that the ships are now slimmed down to 380,000 tonnes deadweight, although it seems that this is only on paper: nothing has changed to the design but it would mean that ships to China cannot be loaded to capacity.

See also
  • Berge Stahl, the largest bulk carrier in the world before the Valemax.
  • MS Vale Brasil, the 1st (sister)ship in the Valemax category
  • List of world's longest ships

References
  1. "Vale Rio de Janeiro (30616)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas.
  2. DSME delivering Vale Brasil, the world's largest ore carrier Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Det Norske Veritas, 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  3. World’s Largest Bulk Carrier Uses Low-Speed B&W Power on Chinese Route Archived 31 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Diesel Facts 2/2011, page 9. MAN Diesel, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  4. M.V. Vale Brasil - Ships particulars. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  5. Vale Group - Shipping Archived 30 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Brazilian mining group’s giant ore carrier soon to enter service. Mining Weekly, 13 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  7. Spinetto, J. B. Vale to Receive Up to Four More Valemax By Year-End. Bloomberg, 4 August 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  8. Interactive presentation Archived 29 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Vale S.A. Retrieved 2011-08-28.
  9. SBMA Subic to become transhipment hub - http://www.sbma.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=197
  10. Machine Support services on world's largest dry bulk carrier. Machine Support News. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  11. Biggest iron-ore ships can enter 3 Chinese ports. China Daily, 2011-06-23. Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  12. Vale - A Global Strategic Partner. Vale S.A. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  13. "Berge Stahl (14702)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  14. Berge Bulk. "Berge Everest - 388,000 DWT". Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  15. Tankers International (2008). "Fleet List". tankersinternational.com. Tankers International. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  16. YouTube video MV Vale RdJ arrives in Rotterdam, watched: 14 April 2012
  17. http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/content/en/mineweb-fast-news?oid=144539&sn=Detail
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