Asian container traffic is projected to be the fastest growing sector in the world for the next several years. In response to this Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has developed a novel container vessel design concept for this region: the C-Dragon concept.
C-Dragon measures 211.9 meters in length between perpendiculars and 37.3 meters in width with a loading capacity of 3736 teu. The new concept targets the actual condition with short roundtrips and many port calls and is designed to outperform cascading older tonnage, which are now employed in this area, in terms of fuel efficiency, port turnaround and cargo intake.
Shorter Port Stay
C-Dragon has a very high ratio of on-deck to total container teu capacity (2376 teu vs. 3736 teu) and less number of bays, compared to reference vessels studied for the design. This particular vessel layout is instrumental in reducing port stay duration because the greater number of containers on deck reduces the need to remove hatch covers, while fewer bays result in fewer crane movements.
Port efficiency simulations conducted using prototype software from GL, demonstrated that the average port stay was reduced from 15 to 14 hours for C-Dragon for each harbour stay.
For C-Dragon, average transit speed is reduced from 15.5 knots to 15 knots.
Optimised Hull
To lower steaming speeds and fuel costs, C-Dragon's hull form has been optimised by FutureShip, GL's consulting subsidiary. This optimisation and a reduced design speed delivers an EEDI value, lower than the IMO reference line for 2025, and fuel consumption thirty per cent lower than that of the slow-streaming 4250 Panamax existing reference vessel.
No Ballast Water
Furthermore, the wide beam hull adopted enables lower speeds and in most operating conditions eliminates the need for ballast water. With zero ballast water usage, C-Dragon offers best-in-class deadweight tonnage (DWT) utilisation and outstanding cargo intake. For each teu at 14 tons, it only needs 14.8 tons deadweight, almost 4 tons less than the current 4250 teu Panamax design, an additional potential for greater earnings.
Image: The C-Dragon Design Concept
