CANADA-based Thordon Bearings has been awarded a landmark US contract to supply COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing solutions to two 3600-TEU 'Aloha Class' vessels under construction at the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. (APSI) for Matson Navigation Company, Inc.
The deal marks Thordon Bearings' first major box ship deal and the largest commercial ship propeller shafts to be fitted with its COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings.
The vessels under construction are the largest Jones Act container ships ever built at 259 metres long, and will each feature a COMPAC bearing system for a 930 milimetre-diameter shaft, driving an 8.1 metre-diameter fixed-pitch propeller.
The newbuildings are due for delivery during the third and fourth quarters of 2018, and will be deployed on Matson's west coast-Hawaii service in anticipation of an greater demand for higher cargo capacity and diversity.
Speaking to IHS Maritime, a Thordon representative commented, "We anticipate that the challenges will be working with the South Korean propulsion integrator and the shipyard, as the shipyard has little experience with water-lubricated propeller shaft bearing systems. It is different, but it should be easier once they understand the concepts."
Imperatives to use such systems include the US Environmental Protection Agency ruling of December 2013 that vessels over 24 metres long must adopt environmentally acceptable lubricants in all oil-to-sea interfaces before their next drydocking, recommending that seawater lubricated bearings be used in propeller shaft lines.
"Our COMPAC system also obviates completely the risk of non-compliance with US Vessel General Permit [VGP] stern tube oil-to-sea interface rules and ensures that the vessels can operate safely, responsibly and legally in US waters," said Thordon's marketing and customer services head, Craig Carter.
The ships will feature a number of other environmentally safe technologies, including double-hull fuel tanks, a freshwater ballast system, an energy-efficient hull form, and a dual-fuel propulsion system.
SHIPBUILDING
16 October 2015 - 19:53
Thordon to supply propeller shaft bearing solutions for 2 Matson box ships
CANADA-based Thordon Bearings has been awarded a landmark US contract to supply COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing solutions to two 3600-TEU 'Aloha Class' vessels.
SHIPBUILDING
16 October 2015 - 19:53
Thordon to supply propeller shaft bearing solutions for 2 Matson box ships
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