Clipper Hebe - Gas Tanker

The Clipper Hebe (hull no 653) is the first in a series of four LEG/LPG carriers being constructed by the German Meyerwerft shipyards for the Norwegian shipping company Solvang ASA. The vessel was launched from the Papenberg yard in August 2007.

The tanks and cooling systems have been designed to allow the ship to be versatile enough to carry a variety of other chemicals including vinyl chloride monomer, ammonia or propylene oxide.

Following the successful delivery of the Clipper Hebe, the delivery of the Clipper Helen, the second ship in the series, occurred in November 2007. A further two tankers are to follow in May and November 2008.

TRIALS

The carrier underwent gas trials at Rafnes in Norway immediately after launching and the gas plant was successfully commissioned using ethylene cargo by engineers from TGE Gas Engineering. TGE handled the detail design and engineering of the cargo deck tanks, the cargo handling system and the delivery of the gas handling equipment.

Some of the components of the ship, including cargo tanks fabricated from low temperature steel, were supplied by Neptun Yard (Rostock, Warnemunde), which is allied to Meyerwerft at Papenberg.

SHIP SPECIFICATIONS

The Clipper Hebe has 22 crew cabins, a length of 154.9m, a beam (moulded) of 22.7m, a perpendicular length of 147.40m and a depth to the main deck of 14.95m. Draught when carrying ethylene is 8.10m, draught when carrying (VCM) 10.60m, summer draft 10.55m, deadweight when carrying (VCM) 18,110t and cargo tank capacity is 17,000m³.

PROPULSION SYSTEMS

The main engine for the ship is a Wärtsilä/Sulzer 6RT-flex50, which has an output of 9,720kW, making the vessel capable of 17.7kt (80% MCR).

The Wärtsilä/Sulzer 6RT-flex50 low-speed diesel engine operates at a speed of 124 rpm. The Sulzer RT-flex series of engines are the first low-speed diesel engines to utilise electronically-controlled common rail systems for the fuel injection and valve actuation systems.

The advantages of this are smokeless operation at all operating speeds, lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and also lower steady operating speeds for better manoeuvring. The engine can be operated in variable speed mode within a range from 88 rpm to 124 rpm.