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A container ships is a Navire intended for the transport of Conteneur S other than any other type of goods. Appeared in the last decades, the container ships is now an important figure of the ports of trade, and formed integral part of the world commerce. Their unceasingly increasing size creates many architectural problems.

Terminology

The word “container ships” is a direct translation of English container carrier , who became later container ship . There was name “ships carry-frameworks” in the years 1960, now obsolete. They are often shortened in PC , and are called “carry-boxes”.

In the maritime transport, one finds the abbreviations UCC for Universal Container Carrier (the container ships universal, most current) and FCC for Fully Cellular Containership (container ships with cells, used to guide the containers during the loading; case of largest).

History

The development of the container ships was done only rather recently. For a long time the transport of various products was done using cargo liners. The Années 1970 saw the development of the commercial exchanges between the various continents. Thus, the container ships met this transport need by offering an important modularity and a flexibility, in particular with the automation of the means of lifting in the ports.

The container was born in 1956 with the the United States with the cargo liner rebuilt Ideal X from the Steamship Side-Atlantic, when the conveyer McLean Trucking Co. started to dispatch Remorque S of Camion S without their frame between New York and Houston. As a driver, it arrives to him of impatienter in the ports when it delivers or comes to seek goods. It to him then the idea has just joined together the parcels, handled up to now one by one, in a box which would pass directly from the ship to the truck. To avoid the regulations different from the States during North-South transport of the United States, the conveyer decides to pass by the sea, invents the container and acquires a maritime company. In 1960, Mac Lean created the waterway transport company Sealand Corporation (Sea-Land) for expressing well the intermodal character of its concept. These means of transport conquered the whole world and the reasons of this success are obvious: the simplicity of the system, its multimode character, a good guarantee against the damage or theft risks and the world standardization whose it is the object. In 1961, the ISO fixes dimensions of the container at 20 or 40 feet length. The TEU (twenty foot equivalent links) or EVP (equivalent twenty feet) was born.

In 1967, the transatlantic general Compagnie brings into service the Suffre and the Rochambeau . The holds of these cargo liners are arranged to transport containers. Starting from 1968 begins the installation of the most important lines of container transport: it is initially the Nord-Atlantique line between the east coast of the United States and Europe, then as from October 1968 the Transpacifique line between the Japan and the west coast of the United States. It is at this time that company NYK Line brings into service the first container ships ever built, the Hakone Maru . In 1969 sets up the line Europe- Australia/New Zealand followed fine 1971 of the line the Europe-Extreme-East, then in May 1977 Europe- South Africa like Europe- the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico. In 1981, it is with the turn of the Africa route of the South-Extreme-East (Safari service). From now on the principal lines of transport are converted with the container.

The first French integral container ships are armed in 1973 by the Company with the Maritime Messageries: they are the Kangourou and the Korrigan . This last has a capacity of loading of 3 000 EVP. It is at the time largest in the world. Starting from 1984, the company Evergreen Marine of Taiwan creates the first service " turn of the monde" via the Panama Canal and that of Suez with respectively 12 ships in each direction, but this service road is abandoned in 1999 because the lines of the type not has - not B are more effective. The same year, a similar attempt of the company United States Lines with 12 ships of the class American New York also fails after 6 months, the ship-owner having gone bankrupt. The longest line of container ships today is that of the company Maersk Sealand which serves over 15 weeks the east coast of the United States, the the Mediterranean, Suez Canal, Singapore, Hong-Kong, Taiwan then the Western coast of the United States, then return by Japan and the preceding stages.

The containers of 20 and 40 feet length, 8 feet of width and 8 feet 6 inches height were essential on the international level. The old format of 35 feet introduces by Sealand disappeared, one finds today more and more containers of 40 and 45 feet high cubic ; inside the United States one finds even containers of 53 feet which the length of the frames of trailer in the United States authorizes (contrary to Europe). The container became today the means of ideal transport for the door-to-door.

Since 1991, the boats are built with an open bridge. The holds are deprived of panels (except the first two holds behind the mole), which makes it possible to reduce the time of loading and unloading and to make the economy of the weight of the panels of hold. This architecture requires a stem conceived to face the high waves and a system of adapted exhaustion. The 6 ships of the type Nedlloyd Europa (Panamax) of the ship-owner Nedlloyd (later Royal P&O Nedlloyd) are the first to adopt this architecture in 1991-1992, as well as the first both Post-Panamax Nedlloyd Hong-Kong and Nedlloyd Honshu built in 1994.

See also the List of the largest container ships.

Current use

The development of the container transport followed the development of the intercontinental trade of the manufactured goods these 3 last decades and more recently very the Chinese strong growth. Thus the container transport knows a growth of 6% per annum since 2002.

In 2005, one estimates that there be 116 million voyages of containers in the world of which:

nearly 30% in the zone of the South-East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Indonesia),
16% between Asia and the west coast American
12% between Asia and Europe
5% only between Europe and North America

The container ships use Conteneur S EVP (equivalent twenty feet). They are containers of standardized size, of approximately 6 meters the long ones (20 feet). Many transports more and more containers of 40 feet, and can often take containers high cubic , a 2,90 m height instead of 2,57 Mr.

The container ships can be various sizes. Smallest, a length about the hundred meters, are ships of supply ( feeder ships ): they transport a hundred of EVP along the coasts and estuaries.

The majority of the current container ships transport between 500 and 3000 containers, for a length ranging between 100 and 200 m, and a speed from 15 to 23 nodes: they are relatively fast ships, primarily because of the wild competition which reigns between the operators.

The largest container ships embark approximately 8500 EVP with the beginning of the year 2000, since 2006, of the boats of 10 000 EVP appeared. Named Post- Panamax (in reference to the Panama Canal), they reach a 350 m length, a speed of 25 knots for a power of 70 MW. The Danish company Maersk launched the Emma Mærsk , longer boat of the world in activity, a capacity of 11.000 containers (its maximum real capacity is even a little higher in the event of loading of not very heavy containers). These ships even carry out commercial connections between various continents of the connections round the world tour.

Alternatives

Behind a relatively simple appearance (of the boxes piled up in the hull), these ships present a certain architectural diversity, and specific problems, in particular for the large ships. One distinguishes various types of container ships:

; Small coastal container ships: A single concept was essential since the years 1990, with a short superstructure with the back above the Engine room, a long single hold with multiples hatchway S for more flexibility, and containers on these hatchways on four on eight levels.

; Large container ships: With the increase in the size, a usually selected solution is not to have a bridge, the containers being stored bottom of the open sky hold. The superstructure is often shifted with the ¾ back, where it can occupy a length minimum. The containers are stored on 15 on 20 levels. These ships have a double hull, two meters thickness.

; The ships post-Panamax : The size does not cease increasing but remains limited: the width is often imposed by the cranes of the ports, and the draft by the depth of the accessible ports. Largest result from a compromise between speed (fine lines) and the number of embarked containers (asking a greater volume).

; Multifunction ships: It is often desirable that ships of other types (Vraquier S, rho-rho S…) can carry containers. In this case, the hatchways are reinforced or increased, and of the cell-guides are added; the advantage remains weak if the port is badly equipped to discharge the two types of cargo liner at the same time.

; Fast container ships: The interest for speed recently remade surface. Various concepts are studied:

*les hulls " wave-piercing" (drilling machines of vagueness), where the prow is reversed and round with the manner of a submarine. However, the hull must remain fine, which reduces the capacity.

*les Multihull S, in particular Trimaran S and Pentamaran S, to increase storage capacity on the bridge by keeping fine hulls.

*les ships for purpose of surface or planing hulls, but with a very limited capacity then.

, for a full capacity of 8,1 million EVP; this figure does not include any time the cellular container ships and excludes the general-purpose cargo liners or the reefers able to transport containers. The fleet had thus increased by 8,9% (in terms of many ships) - 13,3% (in terms of capacity) in one year. The intermediate size, it also in increase, was at 2 324 EVP.

Ship-owners: alliances

In 1969, the Europe-Australia route/New Zealand is opened with the container transport with ships of the 2nd generation (service ANZEC). This line is then jointly assured by the armaments Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), OCL of the the United Kingdom (union of five large British armaments), Associated Conteneur Transportation (ACT) of the the United Kingdom, Royal Nedlloyd of the Netherlands, Australian National Line and Shipping Company of New Zealand.

The most important line and generating the most traffic is the line the Europe-Extreme-East. It was " conteneurisée" in 1968 by the large armaments.

In 1971 first great alliance, the service Trio , is created by armaments of three countries. It is on this line that the largest container ships and fastest, of the 3rd generation, are deployed between November 1971 and July 1973. This service is created by the armaments NYK/Japon (3 then, starting from 1976,4 ships), Mitsui-OSK in Japan (2, then starting from 1977,3 ships), Hapag-Lloyd/Germany (4, then starting from 1981,5 ships), OCL/Royaume-Plain (5, then to leave 1989,7 ships) which was taken again thereafter by P&O and Ben Line-Ellerman of the United Kingdom (3 ships). The service Trio east dissolves at the beginning of 1991, although Hapag-Lloyd and NYK continue today still to work together like with others of armaments.
the second grouping is the Scandutch created by the armaments W. Wilhelmsen of Norway, East Asiatic Company (EAC) of the Denmark, Brostroem of Sweden and Royal Nedlloyd of the Netherlands. The French armament CGM used the grouping in 1973 as well as Malasyan Intern. Shipping Company. This alliance is also dissolved in 1991.
the third alliance, the service ACE' (Asian Container Europe), is created in 1975. It gathers the K-Line armaments of the Japan, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) of Hong-Kong, Neptune Orient Line (NOL) of Singapore and the Belgian Maritime company (CMB) of Belgium.
Between 1991 and 1996 an alliance is created between Maersk-Line and P&O.
the service BEN EAC existed only between 1991 and 1993. It joined together three Scandinavian armaments as well as the Ben Line and Ellermann. The service BEN EAC was taken again completely in 1993 by the Maersk-Line armament.
As from 1996, the number one of the world armament Maersk made an agreement with the Sealand American. Synergy is so strong that Maersk today practically completely took again the American armament.
Of 1996 to 2001 was created the Global Alliance which linked armaments Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, NOL and P&O. Royal Nedlloyd adhered to it in 1997 after its fusion with P&O.

From 1977, the South Africa route opened with the container transport; service SAECS is then rested by the German armaments Africa Linien, Hbg., Belgian Maritime company, Royal Nedlloyd, Overseas Container Line (later P&O) and Safmarine (South Africa). The line is served by 9 modern container ships of 2 400 EVP equipped with diesel engines 2 times. This service is today always places from there with the armaments Maersk-Sealand, Safmarine, P&O Nedlloyd (still in January 2006), CMA-CGM and Deutsche Afrika Linie. Mitsui-OSK Lines must be integrated as from February 2006 with this service.

Current alliances are:

Large Alliance which gathers Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, OOCL, P&O Nedlloyd (until January 2006) and Malaysian intern. Shipping Corp (MISC).
New World Alliance including/understanding the armaments APL/nol, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui-OSK Line; in September 2005, the agreement was renewed for seven years. As from January 2006 a co-operation exists with Large Alliance.
CKYH which gathers COSCO/Chine, K-Line/Japan, Yangming/Taiwan, and Hanjin/South Korea.

The large armaments, work in an autonomous way on the world plan.

Principal armaments of container ships

(figures at May 1st, 2005)

Maersk (with Safmarine) (Denmark): 387 ships of a capacity of 1 036 600 EVP for which it is necessary to add P&O Nedlloyd after their fusion in February 2006. Maersk-Sealand took again its old name of Maersk Line after this last fusion
MSC (Suisse): 257 ships of a capacity of 681 334 EVP.
CMA-CGM (France): 244 ships with a capacity of 500 000 EVP.
Hapag-Lloyd (Germany): 51 ships with a capacity of 281 722 EVP plus CP SHIP having 195 200 EVP.
Evergreen Marine (Taiwan): 153 ships with a capacity of 439 538 EVP.
Cosco (China): 118 ships with a capacity of 289 900 EVP.
Clouded Shipping Container Line (CSCL) (China): 111 ships with a capacity of 290 089 EVP.
NYK Line (Japan): 108 ships with a capacity of 212 900 EVP.
APL (with NOL): 99 ships with a capacity of 315 879 EVP.
P&O Nedlloyd : 162 ships of a capacity of 460 203 EVP were taken again by Maersk.

Manufacturers

Among the current manufacturers of large container ships (more than 7000 EVP), one finds the building sites:

Odense Steel Shipyard, Denmark, property of the group Maersk
Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea
Samsung Heavy Industries, South Korea
Daewoo Heavy Industries, South Korea
IHI. Kure, Japan
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki, Japan

Structure

Architectural problems

One of the main issues of the container ships is them stability , since the cargo is stored sometimes very high. To counterbalance the weight in height, the double bottom is often filled with water of ballast.

On the large ships, structural problems occur, due to the big length. The majority of the container ships having a single Propeller, the Torsion generate great constraints on the front quarter. With the back, the flat funds in the vicinity of the propeller must be reinforced to avoid entering in resonance with the first harmonics of the propeller.

A typical problem of these ships is the rhythmic Roulis , appearing by rolling of short period and great amplitude, by sea coming from the front one. It occurs when the period of rolling of the ship is of about a period of the waves, the widened forms of the Proue generating great moments of rectification. The movements of rolling and Tangage become coupled, generating great vertical and transverse accelerations. At present, the only true remedies are reinforcements structural on the prow and on the level of the hatchways.

Equipment

For the storage of the containers, many ships use the cell-guides which make it possible the container to easily come in the good place during the loading, and to once maintain it in place on the way. There exist often specific places for the cooled containers and the dangerous containers.

For the loading and unloading, the small ships often have either multiple traditional cranes, or of one or two gantries. The largest ships are in general deprived of cranes in order to maximize the space of bridge available, and then need the cranes of the port.

Machinery

The vast majority of the container ships is equipped with a Diesel engine two-stroke involving a single Hélice. The engine room is located at the ¾ back. On the smaller ships, engines four-stroke and, sometimes, a double helix, can be found. The engine room is then with the back.

The engine rooms have rather traditional arrangements and equipment. The electrical production is ensured by Diesel generators.

Last technical developments

Brought up to date in 2005.

the largest container ships today can transport 11.000 EVP.

the April 29th 2005, the Colombo Express of the Hapag-Lloyd armament started its first voyage at the beginning of Hamburg. It was launched the March 31st 2005 with the building site Hyundai Heavy Industries (Ulsan, South Korea), first of a series of eight 8 750 EVP built for Hapag-Lloyd. These ships are propelled by a diesel engine of type Man-B&W 12K98ME of 93 500 CV. This type of engine indicated by the letters " ME" applies in an incomplete way the technique of the Common-Rail, insofar as the various cylinders are not fed by a drain with common fuel high pressure (Common Rail), but in a conventional way, each cylinder having its own fuel pump. The hydraulic system however is common and is ordered in a centralized way. These ships have connections for 730 refrigerating containers.

the ship-owner Claus-Peter Offen ordered in 2003 at Samsung Heavy Industries 9 container ships of 9 200 EVP each one. They have an overall length of 336,7 m, a width of 45,60 m, a height on side 27,20 meters and them Tirant of water is of 15 meters maximum. The propulsion is ensured by a Diesel 12K98MC of Man-B&W with a power of 68 640 KW/93 500 CV to 25 nodes. For the first time, container ships reaches the width of 45,60 m, thus making it possible to put under the bridge in 10 holds, 16 containers side by side and on the bridge 18 containers instead of 17.

COSCO ordered in January 2005 four container ships with the building site Hyundai Heavy Industries of 10 000 EVP. The length is of 349 m for a width of 45,60 Mr. En mai 2005, COSCO ordered four other container ships of 10 000 EVP with the shipyard of Cosco-khi Nantong. The delivery of all these ships must begin in 2008.

Maersk-Sealand ordered semi-2004 with the shipyard Odense Steel Shipyard 14 large container ships to which 6 ships were added, the two last having to be delivered in 2011. They have for the first time a diesel engine Common-Rail of 12 cylinders of the type Sulzer 12RT-flex96C developing 93 400 CV. In June 2005, it was learned that the characteristics of the ships to be delivered from 2006 had been modified and that the ships should be considerably larger. For these ships, Maersk-Sealand would have ordered engines of 14 cylinders of the type Man-B&W 14K98MC developing 108 900 CV in Korea.

Except for the armament Maersk-Sealand, one does not wait before 2010 of ships of the class of 12 000 EVP, because, on the one hand the shipyards turn today to full mode, and that on the other hand there exist bottlenecks for the delivery of the engines of big size. An order carried out in 2005 will not be delivered before 2010. All the large terminals of containers already ordered container cranes with a range being able to go up to 64 meters making it possible to discharge from the 55 meters broad container ships (22 containers side by side). Some new deep water terminals are in construction such as for example new terminal A.P. Møller with Los Angeles (the USA) and with Salalah (Oman). In Germany, there is a quite advanced plan (beginning of work in 2006) of construction of a terminal of containers which can accommodate ships with more 12 000 EVP and offering 16,50 m of depth.

In September 2005, 43 container ships of more than 9 000 EVP are ordered in the whole world.

Propulsion

the container ships of first and second generations had propulsions comprising only one propeller shaft. The ships of the 3rd generation (built between 1971 and 1981) were designed initially to sail at speeds from 27 to 28 nodes. For that purpose, of the propulsions with two even three propeller shafts (diesel or turbines) were necessary. The first Superone with single propeller shaft was ordered in 1980, when the first diesel engines of 50 000 CV were available, thus making it possible to avoid the presence of several engines, more expensive solution. Starting from the end of the year 1970, almost all the container ships propelled by turbines were re-equipped in Diesel, consequence of a high oil price and renunciation at the very high speeds of 28 nodes. The orders of ships with two trees propellers were at that time converted into ships with only one tree, such as for example the four ships of Hapag-Lloyd of the series Hamburg Express . The mean velocity of almost all the large containers was then fixed at 24 nodes, against approximately 25 nodes today.

the most used diesel engines are of the 12-cylinders 2 times of the type Man-B&W 12K98ME/MC developing 94 000 CV to 94-104 turn-minutes and of type Waertsilae-Sulzer 12RT-flex96C Common Rail developing 93 400 CV to 100 turns/minutes.

the two manufacturers offer also these engines in a version 14 cylinders, Man-B&W having diesel engine K108ME of 12/14 cylinders 108 cm in diameter.

the major current problem relates to the propulsion of the future 12 000 - 15 000 EVP. The ship-owners are interested by this size of container ships only if it is source of economy. In this context it is very important to reach the speed of 25 knots, more of the reserves. With such a tonnage, it is necessary to replace the diesel engine with 12 cylinders on line thus providing 90 000 with 93 000 CV by a lengthened engine with 14 cylinders. Such engines, providing approximately 117 000 CV, were already developed by Man-B&W and Sulzer and their construction is possible. The problem is the propeller which must measure between 11 and 11,5 meters diameter and weigh approximately 120 tons, to be able to transmit the increased power of the engine all while maintaining the same mode of the engine (from 94 to 104 turns/minutes). With a size of propeller of 10 meters, one is today in extreme cases of what is possible. The alternative would be a ship with 2 trees with 2 diesel engines. All the armaments have until now pushed back this solution because it would generate increased costs, the engines and the propellers being today the most expensive part of the ship.

Examples of ships

See also: List of the largest container ships

Ships:

Schedules

The page Horaires of container ships of the CMA-CGM makes it possible to illustrate the time of way and stay to the port on two of the lines used by the CMA-CGM.

Sources

General references

Peter F. Zink and Eugene Van Rynbach, chap. XXX “Ships Container”, in

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