Berge Stahl
Encyclopedia
MS Berge Stahl is a Norwegian
bulk carrier
. Until the delivery of MS Vale Brasil
in 2011 she was the longest and largest iron ore carrier in the world. She is registered in Stavanger
, Norway
and was previously registered in Monrovia
, Liberia
.
An iron ore carrier, Berge Stahl has a capacity of she was built in 1986 by Hyundai Heavy Industries
. The vessel is 342.08 m (1,122 ft) long, has a beam
, or width, of 63.5 m (208 ft), and a draft
, or depth in the water, of 23 m (75 ft).
Her MAN
B&W 7L90MCE diesel engine
is 9 m (29.5 ft) high, drives a single 9 m (29.5 ft) propeller, and puts out 27,610 horsepower (20.59 MW), has a top speed of 13.5 knots (26.5 km/h), and has a 9 m (29.5 ft) rudder
.
She is owned by the Singapore
an shipping company BW Group.
Because of its massive size, Berge Stahl can only tie up, fully loaded, at two ports in the world, hauling ore from the Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira
in Brazil
to the Europoort
near Rotterdam
in the Netherlands
. Even at these ports, passage must be timed to coincide with high tides to prevent the ship running aground. Berge Stahl makes this trip about ten times each year, or a round-trip about every five weeks. In September 2006, the ship carried ore to the port of Majishan, China
, where it was dry-docked and given its twenty-year inspection. On the return voyage to Rotterdam, the ship picked up a partial load of ore in Dampier
, Western Australia
, and Saldanha Bay
in South Africa
(where the maximum draft permitted is 21 m).
s bring ore from the mines to the port.
When the Berge Stahl arrives in port it takes some 35 hours to load the ship. Once full it sails to Rotterdam
in about 14 days.
And at least one time per year she took Vitória in Port of Tubarão
(last call in December 22/2010) for load maximum 300.000 tons (draft about 21 meters)of iron ore for Asia (Japan or China).
it starts to slow down. On some 60 km before arrival the ship takes two pilots
on board via helicopter. The pilots assist the captain in sailing through the deepwater route named Eurogeul.
At 20 km before Rotterdam the ship again decreases speed and enters the Maasgeul leading to Rotterdam. The passage of the Maasgeul can only be made during specific times, based on the tide
and also the weather; if the ship misses her slot, she has to wait 12 hours for the next possible passage.
To pass through the Maasgeul the ship can't be loaded to capacity as her draught would then be 23 meters while the minimal depth of the Maasgeul is 24 meters, since if the ship leans over to one side at an angle of only 3° then she lies 1.65 meters deeper in the water. For this reason the Berge Stahl can only be loaded with 354,000 tonnes (while she can carry 364,768 tonnes).
When the Berge Stahl passes the Maascenter buoy she is escorted by a patrol ship of the Port of Rotterdam. On passing the piers four tugboats connect to the ship to help her slowing down and to dock her at the EECV terminal. For docking a harbour pilot comes on board.
Once docked it takes some 3.5 days to transfer all the ore into barges. These barges bring the ore to the steel-mills of Thyssen Krupp and HKM in the Ruhr
in Germany
.
s are filled with 118,000 tons water. During her return voyage 20% of this ballast is pumped overboard after passing the Gulf of Biscay as the risk of bad weather decreases and the ship will use less fuel when she carries less ballast (which decreases her draught). During the return voyage the cargo area is painted to prevent wear.
The return trip takes approximately 11 days.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
bulk carrier
Bulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
. Until the delivery of MS Vale Brasil
MS Vale Brasil
MS Vale Brasil, owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale, is the world's largest bulk carrier. Designed to carry iron ore from Brazil to Asia along the Cape route around South Africa, she is the first of seven 400,000-ton very large ore carriers ordered by Vale from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine...
in 2011 she was the longest and largest iron ore carrier in the world. She is registered in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and was previously registered in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
An iron ore carrier, Berge Stahl has a capacity of she was built in 1986 by Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. is the world's largest shipbuilding company, headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea. The company is a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group...
. The vessel is 342.08 m (1,122 ft) long, has a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
, or width, of 63.5 m (208 ft), and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
, or depth in the water, of 23 m (75 ft).
Her MAN
MAN B&W Diesel
MAN Diesel SE was a provider of large-bore diesel engines for marine propulsion systems and power plant applications. MAN Diesel employs over 7,700 staff, primarily in Germany, Denmark, France, the Czech Republic, India and China...
B&W 7L90MCE diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
is 9 m (29.5 ft) high, drives a single 9 m (29.5 ft) propeller, and puts out 27,610 horsepower (20.59 MW), has a top speed of 13.5 knots (26.5 km/h), and has a 9 m (29.5 ft) rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
.
She is owned by the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an shipping company BW Group.
Because of its massive size, Berge Stahl can only tie up, fully loaded, at two ports in the world, hauling ore from the Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira
Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira
The Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal, owned by mining company CVRD, sits next to the public port of Itaqui, in the state of Maranhão, in northern Brazil. It was chosen as the terminus of the Estrada de Ferro Carajas, where trains unload iron ore for shipping overseas, mainly to Europe and Eastern...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to the Europoort
Europoort
Europoort is an area of the Port of Rotterdam and the adjoining industrial area in the Netherlands. Being situated at the mouth of the rivers Rhine and Meuse with the hinterland consisting of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and partly France, Europoort is by certain measurements the world's...
near Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Even at these ports, passage must be timed to coincide with high tides to prevent the ship running aground. Berge Stahl makes this trip about ten times each year, or a round-trip about every five weeks. In September 2006, the ship carried ore to the port of Majishan, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where it was dry-docked and given its twenty-year inspection. On the return voyage to Rotterdam, the ship picked up a partial load of ore in Dampier
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
(where the maximum draft permitted is 21 m).
Brazil
To load the ship in Brazil cargo trains transport ore from the mines of Vale via a 900 km rail to the terminal Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira. Every day 7 trains with each 204 freight cars and 4 locomotiveLocomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s bring ore from the mines to the port.
When the Berge Stahl arrives in port it takes some 35 hours to load the ship. Once full it sails to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in about 14 days.
And at least one time per year she took Vitória in Port of Tubarão
Port of Tubarão
The Port of Tubarão is a port in Brazil, near the city of Vitória in Espírito Santo. The port was created in 1966 by the Brazilian mining company Vale to export iron ore extracted from the "Iron Quadrangle" in Minas Gerais. In 2007, the Port of Tubarão was the largest iron ore embarking port in the...
(last call in December 22/2010) for load maximum 300.000 tons (draft about 21 meters)of iron ore for Asia (Japan or China).
Arriving in Rotterdam
When the ship passes Cherbourg in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
it starts to slow down. On some 60 km before arrival the ship takes two pilots
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
on board via helicopter. The pilots assist the captain in sailing through the deepwater route named Eurogeul.
At 20 km before Rotterdam the ship again decreases speed and enters the Maasgeul leading to Rotterdam. The passage of the Maasgeul can only be made during specific times, based on the tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
and also the weather; if the ship misses her slot, she has to wait 12 hours for the next possible passage.
To pass through the Maasgeul the ship can't be loaded to capacity as her draught would then be 23 meters while the minimal depth of the Maasgeul is 24 meters, since if the ship leans over to one side at an angle of only 3° then she lies 1.65 meters deeper in the water. For this reason the Berge Stahl can only be loaded with 354,000 tonnes (while she can carry 364,768 tonnes).
When the Berge Stahl passes the Maascenter buoy she is escorted by a patrol ship of the Port of Rotterdam. On passing the piers four tugboats connect to the ship to help her slowing down and to dock her at the EECV terminal. For docking a harbour pilot comes on board.
Once docked it takes some 3.5 days to transfer all the ore into barges. These barges bring the ore to the steel-mills of Thyssen Krupp and HKM in the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Return trip
During unloading of the ship the ballast tankBallast tank
A ballast tank is a compartment within a boat, ship or other floating structure that holds water.-History:The basic concept behind the ballast tank can be seen in many forms of aquatic life, such as the blowfish or argonaut octopus, and the concept has been invented and reinvented many times by...
s are filled with 118,000 tons water. During her return voyage 20% of this ballast is pumped overboard after passing the Gulf of Biscay as the risk of bad weather decreases and the ship will use less fuel when she carries less ballast (which decreases her draught). During the return voyage the cargo area is painted to prevent wear.
The return trip takes approximately 11 days.
See also
- List of ship launches in 1986
- List of the world's longest ships
- Berge FjordBerge FjordBerge Fjord is one of the largest ore carriers in the world. The ship has large capacity for cargo, resulting in high profit. The ship has reliable navigation and engineering equipment.- Design :...
