Approaching limits in ship size development

The shipping industry is slowly approaching limits in ship size development, DNV GL Business Director Jost Bergmann said while speaking at DNV GL’s latest Container Ship Forum and Bulk Carrier Forum in Hamburg. The forums looked at a broad spectrum of topics
including environmental regulations, trends in ship design as well as the new DNV GL rule set, attracting some 150 representatives from the container and bulk industry.

In the near future it would be possible to build ultra-large containerships with a capacity of 24,000 TEU. Based on a current 19,000 TEU vessel design, these ships could be one hold longer, two rows wider, and one hold tier higher, Bergmann added.

“Due to stability factors and steel thickness requirements, it is easier to increase the beam than to increase the length. But besides coping with higher acceleration and gravitational forces, ultra-large wide-beam vessels would also be constrained by port and seaways limitations, such as crane outreach and drafts,” he went on to say.