The ice strengthened Sto-Ro vessel BALTICBORG was completed by Volharding Shipyards in 2004, using a hull from Daewoo Mangalia in Romania. The ship designed for transportation of forest products is arranged with three cargo decks, whereby sto-ro freight is accommodated on the main deck and in the lower hold, while the weatherdeck is used for containers, trailers, packed timber and other unitised goods.
A TTS-designed 16m long by 17.3m wide, single-section stern ramp/door gives access to the main deck. An internal fixed ramp on the port side leads to the upper deck, where another fixed ramp at starboards leads to the lower hold, closed at the main deck level by a sidehinged watertight cover. Paper reels and pulp-packages are loaded by means of forklift trucks of 15.8t axle loading, Mafi trailers of 32t, or road trailers of 20t load.
The propulsion system of the BALTICBORG consists of a Wärtsilä main engine 9L46, featuring a maximum continuous rating of 9450kW at 500 rpm, a Flender Navilus marine reduction gearbox, and a 5000 mm diameter, high skew four-bladed Wärtsilä Lips CP propeller. The service speed of the vessel at a draught of 7.1m is 16.5 knots at 90%MCR and 20% sea margin
The main engine is fitted with a Wärtsilä Engine Control System (WECS): a computerized distributed real-time system for monitoring and control. The hardware consists of computers mounted on the main engine. The main functions are processed in the main control unit.
A relay module contains back up and hardwired functions required by classification societies. The WECS communicates with external systems via a Modbus serial link. The CP propeller is controlled via a Lipstronic remote control system.
The BALTICBORG is one of the first cargo vessels with BV class notations “Clean Sea”, “Clean Air”. Low sulphur fuel (below 1%) is used, and the NOx has been reduced to below 2g/kWh with selective catalytic reduction.
To comply with requirements of ballast water management, a new system “Optimar” was installed. This system uses hydrocyclones on the ballast system to remove particles from the water intake. After this pre-treatment, UV is used to kill micro-organisms and bacteria.
Length, oa: 153.05m, Length, bp: 144.20m, Breadth, mld: 21.60m, Depth, mld to the main deck: 8.40m, Deadweight: 10,254dwt, Draught design/scantling: 7.10m, Lightweight: 5826tonnes, Block coeffi cient: 0.719, Service speed: 16.5 knots. Main engine output 9450kW at 500rev/min.
Further reading: HSB International May 2004, Significant Ships of 2004
