World’s largest ro-ro vessels on order

Höegh Autoliners will take delivery of six New Horizon roll-on, roll-off vessels in 2015 or 2016 – the largest in the world with a carrying capacity of 8 500 car equivalent units (CEU). The vessels will have a large 6.5-metre-high door opening and a 250-tonne-capacity quarter ramp, with a 12-metre-wide driveway. Ballast water treatment systems will be installed in all of the New Horizon vessels, which are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. “These vessels will replace older vessels and tonnage that is less optimal in our trades and will enable us to provide a better service to our customers, especially within the high and heavy and breakbulk segments,” said a spokesperson from the company’s corporate communications office in Oslo. She added that the company also had two 6 500-CEU vessels on order, which will be delivered during the course of 2014. The additional capacity will address the company’s challenge of ensuring balanced trade and loading vessels full on both legs, with an optimal cargo mix. “Currently most of our vessels have a capacity of 150-tonne ramp and a 5.1-metre door height, and as long as the cargo fits within those parameters, we can accommodate it. The new vessels will allow us to carry heavier and bigger cargo,” noted the spokesperson. She says Höegh carries close to four million cubic metres of high and heavy cargo, including trucks, buses, boats, agricultural and construction equipment to destinations throughout the globe. Some of the company’s greatest project cargo challenges in South Africa are issues with shore side equipment availability, said Vitesh Ramphal, Höegh Autoliners’ head of Africa. “Suppliers are not readily equipped with heavy lift handling equipment which means customers often need to source externally,” he commented, adding that Johannesburg and over-border countries were the usual destination for a lot of project and break bulk cargoes. “There is therefore a definite demand for investment in rail infrastructure within South Africa and to BLNS (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland) countries,” he stated. According to Ramphal, South Africa still has a large dependence on road logistics, which is “overdue for change” as delays in overborder and custom clearances, road permits and road embargoes add to the already-expensive logistics as cargo needs to be removed from terminal within quite a short period of time and warehoused until it has the green light to move. “There must be a constant focus on training and development in the project cargo environment,” Ramphal said. CAPTION A graphic representation of the new 8 500 car equivalent unit ro-ro vessel.