New Ro-Con ships to be built for U.S. East Coast service

National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA) recently signed a $411.47 million contract with Hyundai MIPO, South Korea to build four 220 m Roll-On/Roll-Off-Container (Ro-Con) ships. The contract contains an option to build two additional vessels.

The 220 m ships, which will be classed by Lloyd’s Register, will have a beam of 32.2 m, draft of 9.5 m, container capacity of 364 TEU and deck area of 24,000 square meters. The main engine will have an MCR of 12,500 kW, providing the ship with enough power for a service speed of more than 17 knots.

The 26,000 dwt Ro-Con vessels are based on a design by Danish naval architectural firm Knud E. Hansen A/S, which carried out a thorough project study including design and calculations. Knud E. Hansen A/S also assisted NSCSA with technical asistance in the contract phase.

The Ro-Con (Roll on / Roll off – Container) ships have been designed with attention to flexibility between Ro-Ro cargo and container cargo, and with a focus on low fuel consumption.

In order to minimize “turn around” time in the harbor, the ships are designed with good maneuverability and optimized cargo decks.

NSCSA wants to expand its capacity within the Ro-Ro, general and project cargo sectors, with a focus on service between the U.S. East Coast and the Middle East (Red Sea-Arabian Gulf) and to the Indian Subcontinent.

The ships are expected to be delivered from the end of 2012 until the end of 2013. If NCSA exercises the options for the additional RoCons, Hyundai MIPO will deliver the first in 2013 and the second in the first quarter of 2014.

March 20, 2011