The "MSC SAVONA" is the first container vessel of the 14000 TEU class, which according to the THB (the "Täglicher Hafenbericht", the German shipping news), was delivered as the "CPO SAVONA" on 19.03.2010 by her builder's yard DSME, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., Okpo, South Korea to her owners KG ms 'CPO Savona' Offen Reederei GmbH. & Co., Hamburg, Germany (Management: Reederei Claus-Peter Offen GmbH & Co. KG., Hamburg). Liberian flag, port of registry Monrovia. (Official No. 91959. Call sign: A8UX4) and at the same time was let into time charter with MSC, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Geneva, Switzerland for a period of 15 years. She was renamed "MSC SAVONA" and will operate on their North Europe / Far East line. As from some North German press releases Claus-Peter Offen has ordered a total of 18 vessels of this type, of which 9 ships will be sold to MSC on delivery and the other 9 vessels will be time chartered to MSC for 15 years.
The keel of "MSC SAVONA" was laid on 06.11.2009 and she was launched on 30.12.2009. She is 365.82m long, 51.20 m wide (Olympia swimming pool 50.00 m long) and has a depth (from keel to main deck) of 30.00 m (10-12 story building). The summer deadweight is 165,887 metric tonnes on a draught of 16.00 m. The vessel has a capacity of 14,000 TEU*). Fully loaded, the vessel cannot reach Hamburg, the maximum allowed draught presently is 12.80 m and after the planned deepening of the Elbe River it will be 13.50 m and 14.50 m at high tide. Port calls in Europe will be at Antwerp, Rotterdam, Felixstowe and Valencia.
The nine deck high bridge superstructure is separated from the aft engine room and it's engine casing/funnel superstructure and is situated about one third from the bow. This location improves the visibility, as demanded by IMO-regulations and aft of the bridge, containers can be stowed on deck 9 tiers high, enhancing the carrying capacity.
Propulsion is by one 12-cylinder, slow speed crosshead diesel engine of MAN-B&W design, type: 12K98MC-C7. The power developed is 72,240 kW (98250 BHP) at 104 RPM and gives an approximate speed of 24.1 knots. The consumption of heavy fuel is about 262 metric tonnes per day and the capacity of the bunker tanks is 13,500 m3 for heavy fuel and 400 m3 for diesel oil. Electrical power is generated by 4 diesel generator sets of 3840 kW each. Electrical connections for 1000 FEU (40 foot containers) are provided on deck, therefore the huge power of the of the diesel generators.
The crew of 30 persons is engaged from Eastern Europe and the Philippines, and her first master is from Poland.
The "MSC SAVONA" is the one hundredth vessel of Reederei Claus-Peter Offen, Hamburg and has cost about 170 Mio USD. She was baptised by the 14 year old daughter of the owner, Anna Offen.
Remark:
*) 14,000 TEU (TEU = Twenty foot Equivalent Unit) is a very theoretical figure and the ship can never carry all containers fully loaded, it would exceed the deadweight of 165,887 metric tonnes (mt) by far, for example, take one container as 25 mt (22 mt cargo, plus 3 mt for its own weight = 25 mt) x 14,000 gives 350,000 mt.
Therefore, if we take the deadweight of 165,887 mt, deduct 11,887 mt for fuel, water and equipment/stores, remains 154,000 mt for cargo, divided by 14,000 TEU, results in a weight of 11,0 mt per one container. Additionally, it is also a question of stability, the loaded containers have to be stowed low and the empty ones on the top. Note, the stowing plans for container vessels are drawn up since many years in the offices of the shipping companies, using computers.