China has completed what is believed to be the world's largest conversion of a bulk carrier into a containership, according to the China Classification Society (CCS).
The vessel, Guang Qi De Er Ta, was converted from a 2012-built 80 000 dwt Kamsarmax bulk carrier into a 3 607 TEU containership at Zhoushan Xinya Shipbuilding & Repair Co. The six-month project was completed on June 10. According to CCS, the conversion is the first involving an 80 000 dwt-class bulk carrier and the largest bulker-to-containership conversion completed to date.
The project involved extensive structural modifications, including the redesign of the vessel's seven cargo holds into 13 container holds, the installation of container lashing systems and the adaptation of onboard systems for container operations.
The conversion also required significant hull modifications and the raising of the accommodation block to meet visibility requirements for container operations, CCS said.
The classification society described the project as technically complex because of the scale of the structural changes required to transform a bulk carrier into a containership. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 43 746 GT and an overall length of 229 metres.
