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128-590: Valemax ships are a fleet of very large ore carriers (VLOC) owned or chartered by the Brazilian mining company Vale S.A. to carry iron ore from Brazil to European and Asian ports. With a capacity ranging from 380,000 to 400,000 tons deadweight , the vessels meet the Chinamax standard of ship measurements for limits on draft and beam . Valemax ships are the largest bulk carriers ever constructed, when measuring deadweight tonnage or length overall , and are amongst

256-554: A shiploader in a single step with a loading rate of 13,500 tonnes per hour and can carry almost as much iron ore as a small Panamax carrier. In addition the space inside the cargo hold that cannot be reached by grabs during discharging, the so-called "dead spots", is minimized. With a deadweight tonnage of about 400,000 tons, a fully laden Valemax vessel is carrying as much iron ore as around 11,150 trucks, enough to produce steel for three Golden Gate bridges. The first 35 Valemax ships were said to be capable of carrying about 15% of

384-482: A 25-year contract with Vale in 2009. The deadweight tonnage of the Valemax vessels built by STX, 374,400 tons, is slightly smaller than that of the similar ships built by DSME and RSHI. The first STX-built Valemax vessel, Vale Beijing , was delivered by STX Jinhae on 27 September 2011. Although another vessel was expected to take delivery later that year, only one ship was delivered. The second ship, Vale Qingdao ,

512-407: A 6 feet (2 m) hole below the hatch cover and filling it with bagged cargo or weights. A bulk carrier's design is largely defined by the cargo it will carry. The cargo's density, also known as its stowage factor , is the key factor. Densities for common bulk cargoes vary from 0.6 tons per cubic meter for light grains to 3 tons per cubic meter for iron ore. The overall cargo weight

640-450: A Chinese port – the ship arrived at Dalian on 28 December 2011 – but this was assumed to be a bureaucratic fluke as no Chinese port has regulatory approval to receive dry bulk carriers of that size. According to Vale, the discussions about allowing the Valemax ships to enter Chinese ports were ongoing since the ban came into force and the Chinese officials had given a preliminary go-ahead for

768-593: A Japanese shipping company, bringing the total number of Valemax vessels to 68 as of 2020. In 2008, Vale placed orders for twelve 400,000-ton Valemax ships to be constructed by Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries (RSHI) in China and ordered seven more ships from South Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2009. In addition sixteen more ships of similar size were ordered from Chinese and South Korean shipyards for other shipping companies, and chartered to Vale under long-term contracts. The first vessel

896-756: A beam of up to 32.31 m, a length overall of up to 294.13 m, and a draft of up to 12.04 m. Capesize ships are too large to traverse the Panama canal and must round Cape Horn to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Earlier, Capesize ships could not traverse the Suez and needed to go around the Cape of Good Hope . Recent deepening of the Suez canal to 66 ft (20 m) permits most Capesize ships to pass through it. Capesize bulk carriers are specialized: 93% of their cargo

1024-484: A bulk carrier typically consists of 20 to 30 people, though smaller ships can be handled by 8. The crew includes the captain or master, the deck department , the engine department , and the steward's department . The practice of taking passengers aboard cargo ships, once almost universal, is very rare today and almost non-existent on bulk carriers. During the 1990s, bulk carriers were involved in an alarming number of shipwrecks . This led ship-owners to commission

1152-405: A contract with the Chinese shipbuilding company Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry for the construction of four 388,000-ton very large ore carriers. Although initially scheduled for delivery in 2010, the first vessel, Berge Everest , was delivered on 23 September 2011. It was followed by Berge Aconcagua on 15 March 2012 and Berge Jaya on 12 June 2012. The remaining ship, Berge Neblina ,

1280-454: A deadweight tonnage in excess of 400,000 tons and in the past Vale has referred to the ships ordered from Rongsheng as "400,000-ton" vessels. The reduction in cargo capacity, at least on paper, may have been due to the reluctance of Chinese officials to accept the 400,000-ton ships to Chinese ports. In April 2012, it was reported that Vale had refused delivery for three Valemax ships recently completed by Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries. This

1408-515: A deadweight tonnage of over 440,000 tons. They are still far from the largest ship ever constructed — Seawise Giant (labeled as the Knock Nevis in the adjacent image), built in 1979 and broken up in 2009, was 458.46 metres (1,504.1 ft) long and had a deadweight tonnage of 564,650 tons — and also considerably longer than the longest ship currently in service, the 400-metre (1,312 ft) container ship Barzan . Vale's decision to construct

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1536-415: A fixed-pitch propeller . Electricity is produced by auxiliary generators and/or an alternator coupled to the propeller shaft. On the smaller bulk carriers, one or two four-stroke diesels are used to turn either a fixed or controllable-pitch propeller via a reduction gearbox , which may also incorporate an output for an alternator. The average design ship speed for bulk carriers of Handysize and above

1664-764: A fleet of 14 bulk carriers. The H. Vogemann Group in Hamburg, Germany operates a fleet of 19 bulk carriers. Portline in Portugal, owns 10 bulk carriers. Dampskibsselskabet Torm in Denmark and Elcano in Spain also own notable bulk carrier fleets. Other companies specialize in mini-bulk carrier operations: England's Stephenson Clarke Shipping Limited owns a fleet of eight mini-bulk carriers and five small Handysize bulk carriers, and Cornships Management and Agency Inc. in Turkey owns

1792-522: A fleet of 19 Valemax vessels by itself in order to control the wildly fluctuating charter prices for large bulk carriers which had dropped from US$ 233,988 per day in June 2008 to as low as US$ 2,400 by December of the same year. However, because of the Great Recession and the reluctance of Chinese ports to accept the fully laden ships, the new board of directors decided to focus capital allocation to mining. As

1920-463: A fleet of 400,000-ton ore carriers was widely criticized by other shipping companies. The new Valemax ships, expected to cut the company's transportation costs by 20–25%, were blamed for driving down the freight rates for the entire industry, swelling the already oversupplied bulk transportation market and stalling the recovery of the shipping business after the Great Recession . The freight rates, down 80% from 2008, were expected to drop further down to

2048-734: A fleet of seven mini-bulk carriers. Asian companies dominate the construction of bulk carriers. Of the world's 6,225 bulk carriers, almost 62% were built in Japan by shipyards such as Oshima Shipbuilding and Sanoyas Hishino Meisho . South Korea, with notable shipyards Daewoo and Hyundai Heavy Industries , ranked second among builders, with 643 ships. The People's Republic of China, with large shipyards such as Dalian, Chengxi, and Shanghai Waigaoqiao, ranked third, with 509 ships. Taiwan , with shipyards such as China Shipbuilding Corporation , ranked fourth, accounting for 129 ships. Shipyards in these top four countries built over 82% of

2176-406: A further 15% to 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is claimed. The Japanese-built ships have 7RT-flex82T engines rated at 24,600 kW (33,000 hp) and 74 rpm, slightly less than their South Korean- or Chinese-built equivalents. The new ships are considerably larger than the previous record holder, 364,767-ton Berge Stahl , which had been the largest bulk carrier in the world since it

2304-524: A joint venture between COSCO and China Shipping Development Company , for US$ 445 million. These were the first Valemax vessels to officially change ownership. Later, four more ships were sold to China Merchants Energy Shipping . In December 2015, Vale announced that the remaining 11 Valemax ships owned by the mining company would be sold and leased back from the new owners. The last Valemax vessels were reportedly sold in December 2017. On 5 December 2011 it

2432-584: A million deadweight tons worth of bulk carriers were scrapped in 2004, accounting for 4.7% of the year's scrapping. That year, bulk carriers fetched particularly high scrap prices, between $ 340 and $ 350 per LDT. 1 Chief mate 1 Second mate 1 Third mate 1 Boatswain 1 Deck cadet 2–6 Able seamen 0–2 Ordinary seamen 1 Chief engineer 1 Second engineer 1 Third engineer 1–2 Fourth engineers 0–1 ETO 0–2 Motormen 1–3 Oilers 0–3 Greasers 1–3 Wipers 1 Chief steward 1 Chief cook 1 Steward's assistant The crew on

2560-540: A minimum scantling of 6 mm for the tops of the hatch covers. The International Association of Classification Societies then increased this strength standard by creating its Unified Requirement S21 in 1998. This standard requires that the pressure due to sea water be calculated as a function of freeboard and speed, especially for hatch covers located on the forward portion of the ship. Bulk carriers are designed to be easy to build and to store cargo efficiently. To facilitate construction , bulk carriers are built with

2688-631: A precaution against environmental damage the Brazilian authorities requested her fuel tanks to be emptied. Since there are no facilities to unload iron ore from the ship at Ponta da Madeira and no large shipyards in the region, emergency repairs had to be performed by divers and the cargo redistributed while the ship was anchored offshore before it could be towed to a shipyard. The cause of the damage has not been published by STX, but design or construction flaws, material fatigue and incorrect loading have all been suspected. According to calculations performed by DNV

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2816-504: A quarter are registered in Panama . South Korea is the largest single builder of bulk carriers, and 82 percent of these ships were built in Asia. On bulk carriers, crews are involved in operation, management, and maintenance of the vessel, taking care of safety, navigation, maintenance, and cargo care, in accordance with international maritime legislation. Crews can range in size from three people on

2944-437: A result, Vale decided to sell the ships and charter them back under long-term contracts. Although Vale was expected to suffer financial losses from selling the ships, they would have been covered by the profit from iron ore sales even at depressed ore prices if only one or two full shipments could be unloaded in Chinese ports. In September 2014, Vale signed a framework agreement for strategic co-operation in iron ore shipping with

3072-490: A ship, paying a daily rate instead of a set price per ton. In 2005, the average daily rate for a Handymax ship varied between $ 18,000 – $ 30,000. A Panamax ship could be chartered for $ 20,000 – $ 50,000 per day, and a Capesize for $ 40,000 – $ 70,000 per day. Generally, ships are removed from the fleet by going through a process known as ship breaking or scrapping. Ship-owners and buyers negotiate scrap prices based on factors such as

3200-424: A single hull curvature. Also, while a bulbous bow allows a ship to move more efficiently through the water, designers lean towards simple vertical bows on larger ships. Full hulls, with large block coefficients , are almost universal, and as a result, bulk carriers are inherently slow. This is offset by their efficiency. Comparing a ship's carrying capacity in terms of deadweight tonnage to its weight when empty

3328-652: A study seeking to explain the effect of various factors on the crew's effectiveness and competence. The study showed that crew performance aboard bulk carriers was the lowest of all groups studied. Among bulk carrier crews, the best performance was found aboard younger and larger ships. Crews on better-maintained ships performed better, as did crews on ships where fewer languages were spoken. Fewer deck officers are employed on bulk carriers than on similarly sized ships of other types. A mini-bulk carrier carries two to three deck officers, while larger Handysize and Capesize bulk carriers carry four. Liquid natural gas tankers of

3456-455: A total combined capacity of almost 346 million DWT. Combined carriers are a very small portion of the fleet, representing less than 3% of this capacity. The lake freighters of the Great Lakes , with 98 ships of 3.2 million total DWT, despite forming a small fraction of the total fleet by tonnage and only operating 10 months a year, carried a tenth of the world's bulk cargo because of

3584-679: Is 13.5–15 knots (25.0–27.8 km/h; 15.5–17.3 mph). The propeller speed is relatively low, at about 90 revolutions per minute, although it depends on the size of the propeller. As a result of the 1973 oil crisis , the 1979 energy crisis , and the resulting rise in oil prices, experimental designs using coal to fuel ships were tested in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Australian National Lines (ANL) constructed two 74,700-ton coal-burner ships called River Boyne and River Embely . along with two constructed by TNT called TNT Capricornia and TNT Capentaria and renamed Fitzroy River and Endeavor River . These ships were financially effective for

3712-440: Is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo —such as grain , coal, ore , steel coils, and cement—in its cargo holds . Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have led to increased size and sophistication of these ships. Today's bulk carriers are specially designed to maximize capacity, safety, efficiency, and durability. Today, bulk carriers make up 21 percent of

3840-470: Is closer to major customers in Asia. Vale also faced opposition from the China Shipowners' Association which claimed that the Brazilian mining company is seeking to control the freight market as it has already done with the iron ore prices. In the past, the Chinese ports were not allowed to increase their capacity to more than 300,000 tons for dry bulk carriers due to safety and environmental concerns. If

3968-565: Is in compliance with the required codes. This is in part related to legal liability of the classification society. However, each of the classification societies has developed a series of notations that may be granted to a vessel to indicate that it is in compliance with some additional criteria that may be either specific to that vessel type or that are in excess of the standard classification requirements. See Ice class as an example. There have always been concerns that competitive pressure might lead to falling standards – as expressed for example by

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4096-713: Is iron ore and coal. Some ships on the Great Lakes Waterway exceed Panamax dimensions but they are limited to use on the Great Lakes as they cannot pass through the smaller St. Lawrence Seaway to the ocean. Very large ore carriers and very large bulk carriers are a subset of the capesize category reserved for vessels over 200,000  DWT . Carriers of this size are almost always designed to carry iron ore. In October 2022, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)'s bulk carrier Shofu Maru arrived in Newcastle on its maiden voyage, becoming

4224-415: Is one way to measure its efficiency. A small Handymax ship can carry five times its weight. In larger designs, this efficiency is even more pronounced: Capesize vessels can carry more than eight times their weight. Classification society A classification certificate issued by a classification society recognised by the proposed ship register is required for a ship's owner to be able to register

4352-421: Is the limiting factor in the design of an ore carrier, since the cargo is so dense. Coal carriers, on the other hand, are limited by overall volume, since most bulk carriers can be completely filled with coal before reaching their maximum draft. For a given tonnage, the second factor which governs the ship's dimensions is the size of the ports and waterways it will travel to. For example, a vessel that will pass

4480-403: Is the opening at the top of a cargo hold . The mechanical devices which allow hatches to be opened and closed are called hatch cover. In general, hatch covers are between 45% and 60% of the ship's breadth, or beam, and 57% to 67% of the length of the holds. To efficiently load and unload cargo, hatches must be large, but large hatches present structural problems. Hull stress is concentrated around

4608-483: Is the origin of the well-known expression 'A1', meaning 'first or highest class'. The purpose of this system was not to assess safety, fitness for purpose or seaworthiness of the ship. It was to evaluate risk. Samuel Plimsoll pointed out the obvious downside of insurance: The first edition of the Register of Ships was published by Lloyd's Register in 1764 and was for use in the years 1764 to 1766. Bureau Veritas (BV)

4736-427: Is used for combination oil and ore carriers. The terms "VLOC", "VLBC", "ULOC", and "ULBC" for very large and ultra-large ore and bulk carriers were adapted from the supertanker designations very large crude carrier and ultra-large crude carrier. Before specialized bulk carriers were developed, shippers had two methods to move bulk goods by ship. In the first method, longshoremen loaded the cargo into sacks, stacked

4864-442: Is used to distinguish bulk carriers from bulk liquid carriers such as oil , chemical , or liquefied petroleum gas carriers . Very small bulk carriers are almost indistinguishable from general cargo ships, and they are often classified based more on the ship's use than its design. A number of abbreviations are used to describe bulk carriers. " OBO " describes a bulk carrier that carries a combination of ore, bulk, and oil, and "O/O"

4992-656: The European Commission . To counteract class hopping, in 2009, the International Association of Classification Societies ( IACS ) implemented the Transfer of Class Agreement (TOCA), whereby no member would accept a ship that had not carried out improvements demanded by its previous class society. Currently, more than 50 organizations worldwide describe their activities as including marine classification, some of which are listed below. Twelve of these are members of

5120-582: The International Association of Classification Societies . The largest are DNV , the American Bureau of Shipping , Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) and Lloyd's Register . Classification societies employ naval architects , ship surveyors , material engineers , piping engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers , often located at ports and office buildings around the world. Marine vessels and structures are classified according to

5248-682: The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea defines a bulk carrier as "a ship constructed with a single deck, top side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces and intended to primarily carry dry cargo in bulk; an ore carrier; or a combination carrier." Most classification societies use a broader definition, by which a bulk carrier is any ship that carries dry unpackaged goods. Multipurpose cargo ships can carry bulk cargo, but can also carry other cargoes and are not specifically designed for bulk carriage. The term "dry bulk carrier"

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5376-524: The Vale Beijing incident. The ships built for Oman Shipping Company were later removed from the Det Norske Veritas registry and moved to other classification societies such as American Bureau of Shipping and Lloyd's Register . The Chinese shipbuilder's ability to deliver any of the very large ore carriers ordered by Vale in time was doubted already before the first ship was built. In May 2011, it

5504-527: The Valemax ships built in South Korea, China and Japan. While the first series of 35 ships was more diverse, all 30 Chinese-built Valemax vessels of the second series are based on the same standard design, SDARI 400OC , by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI). The three Japanese-built vessels, however, represent another standard design, G400OC . Valemax ships are 360 to 362 metres (1,181 to 1,188 ft) long, making them some of

5632-414: The longest ships of any type currently in service. The first Valemax vessel, Vale Brasil , was delivered in 2011. Initially, all 35 ships of the first series were expected to be in service by 2013, but the last ship was not delivered until September 2016. In late 2015 and early 2016, Chinese shipping companies ordered 30 more ships with deliveries in 2018–2020. Three additional vessels were ordered by

5760-423: The 12-hour turnarounds common for container ships, 15-hour turnarounds for car carriers, and 26-hour turnarounds for large tankers, bulk carrier crews have more opportunities to spend time ashore. Loading and unloading a bulk carrier is time-consuming and dangerous. The process is planned by the ship's chief mate under the direct and continued supervision of ship's captain . International regulations require that

5888-412: The 400,000-ton Valemax vessels are allowed to Chinese ports, Vale's monopoly on the route may result in losses for other shipping companies operating capesize ore carriers. When Vale Brasil was diverted to Italy on her maiden voyage, there was speculation that the domestic steel industry of China had urged the authorities to protect their commercial interests. However, Vale has also received support from

6016-573: The Chinese steel companies as they would benefit from lower transportation costs. As a precaution against prolonged ban of Valemax vessels from the Chinese ports, Vale started constructing both land- and offshore-based transshipment hubs where iron ore can be loaded to smaller ships for final delivery. Ore Fabrica , a 280,000 DWT crude oil tanker converted in China, arrived at Subic Bay , Philippines , in late January 2012. A second transshipment vessel, Ore Sossego , entered service in 2013. This backup plan

6144-592: The Great Lakes fleets, built in the 1970s, were among the longest ships afloat, and, in 1979, a record 214 million tons of bulk cargo were moved on the Great Lakes. Bulk carriers are segregated into six major size categories: small, handysize , handymax , panamax , capesize , and very large. Very large bulk and ore carriers fall into the capesize category but are often considered separately. Categories occur in regional trade , such as Kamsarmax, Seawaymax , Setouchmax, Dunkirkmax, and Newcastlemax also appear in regional trade. Mini-bulk carriers are prevalent in

6272-496: The Panama Canal will be limited in its beam and draft . For most designs, the ratio of length-to-width ranges between 5 and 7, with an average of 6.2. The ratio of length-to-height will be between 11 and 12. The engine room on a bulk carrier is usually near the stern , under the superstructure . Larger bulk carriers, from Handymax up, usually have a single two-stroke low-speed crosshead diesel engine directly coupled to

6400-459: The Register Society published the first Rules for the survey and classification of vessels, and changed its name to Lloyds Register of Shipping. A full-time bureaucracy of surveyors (inspectors) and support personnel was put in place. Similar developments were taking place in the other major maritime nations. The adoption of common rules for ship construction by Norwegian insurance societies in

6528-415: The annual iron ore exports from Brazil to all destinations if each ship does four round trips per year. Like most modern bulk carriers, Valemax vessels are powered by a single two-stroke low-speed crosshead diesel engine directly coupled to a fixed-pitch propeller . The ships built by DSME and STX in South Korea are powered by 7-cylinder MAN B&W 7S80ME-C8 and 7S80ME-C engines, respectively, and

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6656-590: The bulk carriers afloat. Several factors affect the cost to move a bulk cargo by ship. The bulk freight market is very volatile, with the type of cargo, size of the vessel, and the route traveled all affecting the final price. Moving a capesize load of coal from South America to Europe cost anywhere from $ 15 to $ 25 per ton in 2005. Hauling a panamax-sized load of aggregate materials from the Gulf of Mexico to Japan that year could cost as little as $ 40 per ton to as much as $ 70 per ton. Some shippers choose instead to charter

6784-505: The bulk carriers' large hatchways—have been linked to a spate of bulk carrier sinkings in the 1990s. These large hatchways, important for efficient cargo handling, can allow the entry of large volumes of water in storms and accelerate sinking once a vessel has listed or heeled . New international regulations have since been introduced to improve ship design and inspection and to streamline the process for crews to abandon ship. The term bulk carrier has been defined in varying ways. As of 1999,

6912-428: The captain and terminal master agree on a detailed plan before operations begin. Deck officers and stevedores oversee the operations. Occasionally loading errors are made that cause a ship to capsize or break in half at the pier. The loading method used depends on both the cargo and the equipment available on the ship and on the dock. In the least advanced ports, cargo can be loaded with shovels or bags poured from

7040-415: The cargo is discharged, the crew begins to clean the holds. This is particularly important if the next cargo is of a different type. The immense size of cargo holds and the tendency of cargoes to be physically irritating add to the difficulty of cleaning the holds. When the holds are clean, the process of loading begins. It is crucial to keep the cargo level during loading in order to maintain stability. As

7168-494: The cargo is fully loaded. Because bulk cargo is so difficult to discharge, bulk carriers spend more time in port than other ships. A study of mini-bulk carriers found that it takes, on average, twice as much time to unload a ship as it does to load it. A mini-bulk carrier spends 55 hours at a time in port, compared to 35 hours for a lumber carrier of similar size. This time in port increases to 74 hours for Handymax and 120 hours for Panamax vessels. Compared with

7296-444: The category of small vessels with a capacity of under 10,000  DWT . Mini-bulk carriers carry from 500 to 2,500 tons, have a single hold, and are designed for river transport. They are often built to be able to pass under bridges and have small crews of three to eight people. Handysize and Handymax ships are general purpose in nature. These two segments represent 71% of all bulk carriers over 10,000  DWT and also have

7424-408: The classification profession evolved, the practice of assigning different classifications has been superseded, with some exceptions. Today a ship either meets the relevant class society's rules or it does not. As a consequence, it is either 'in' or 'out' of 'class'. Classification societies do not issue statements or certifications that a vessel is 'fit to sail' or 'unfit to sail', merely that the vessel

7552-468: The classification standards of the society issuing the classification certificate. Classification societies also issue International Load Line Certificates in accordance with the legislation of participating states giving effect to the International Convention on Load Lines (CLL 66/88). Classification societies set technical rules based on experience and research, confirm that designs and calculations meet these rules, survey ships and structures during

7680-463: The company's ships since March as a protest against banning the Valemax vessels from Chinese ports. Vale has refused to give comments on the issue. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , the former president of Brazil, also publicly criticized Vale's former CEO Roger Agnelli for the decision of ordering ships from Asian shipyards instead of building them in Brazil, where Lula da Silva has been trying to revitalize

7808-459: The competitive British coal market. The first self-unloader was the lake freighter Hennepin in 1902 on the Great Lakes . This greatly decreased the unloading time of bulk carriers by using conveyor belt to move the cargo. The first bulk carriers with diesel propulsion began to appear in 1911. Before World War II , the international shipping demand for bulk products was low—about 25 million tons for metal ores —and most of this trade

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7936-410: The condition of the ship's hull and equipment. At that time, an attempt was made to classify the condition of each ship on an annual basis. The condition of the hull was classified A, E, I, O or U, according to the state of its construction and its adjudged continuing soundness (or lack thereof). Equipment was G, M, or B: simply, good, middling or bad. In time, G, M and B were replaced by 1, 2 and 3, which

8064-457: The construction of all of its ten 400,000-ton ore carriers to Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. ICBC, which would later hand over the vessels to China Marchants Energy Shipping, announced that six of its ships would be built by the Chinese privately owned shipyard Yangzijian Shipbuilding while the remaining four would be awarded to Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding. The first of the thirty Chinese-built second-generation Valemax vessels, Yuan He Hai ,

8192-495: The construction of new berths capable of accommodating the 400,000-ton ships. According to the Ningbo Port Company , the construction of the new port facilities would take two to three years, causing further delays for Vale which in the meantime was losing $ 2–3 per ton of ore due to the ban. On 15 April 2013, Vale Malaysia became the first 400,000-ton Valemax vessel to call a Chinese port. The partially loaded ship docked at

8320-611: The crane can take a load, deposit it at the terminal and return to take the next. For modern gantry cranes, the total time of the grab-deposit-return cycle is about 50 seconds. Conveyor belts offer a very efficient method of loading, with standard loading rates varying between 100 and 700 tons per hour, although the most advanced ports can offer rates of 16,000 tons per hour. Start-up and shutdown procedures with conveyor belts, though, are complicated and require time to carry out. Self-discharging ships use conveyor belts with load rates of around 1,000 tons per hour. Once

8448-418: The crews or the terminal personnel, the ships suffered structural damage and were subsequently moved to an anchorage area outside of the port for inspection. All Valemax vessels, with the exception of those owned and operated by Berge Bulk, were initially given names consisting of the word Vale and a place name, either one related to the mining operations of Vale S.A. in Brazil or a potential destination for

8576-538: The damage was not caused by global strength issues or single pass loading, but is assumed to be related to local buckling strength in some areas of the web frames in the aft ballast tanks. Vale Beijing remained anchored off Ponta da Madeira with a crawler crane on the deck and an oceangoing tug standing by until 19 February 2012, when it left São Luís for Oman. After unloading at Sohar, the ship headed to South Korea for dry docking and arrived at STX shipyard in Jinhae, where it

8704-431: The duration of their lives, and their steam engines were able to generate a shaft-power of 19,000 horsepower (14,000 kW). This strategy gave an interesting advantage to carriers of bauxite and similar fuel cargoes, but suffered from poor engine yield compared to higher maintenance cost and efficient modern diesels, maintenance problems due to the supply of ungraded coal, and high initial costs. A hatch or hatchway

8832-548: The edges of the hatches, and these areas must be reinforced. Often, hatch areas are reinforced by locally increasing the scantlings or by adding structural members called stiffeners. Both of these options have the undesired effect of adding weight to the ship. As recently as the 1950s, hatches had wooden covers that would be broken apart and rebuilt by hand, rather than opened and closed. Newer vessels have hydraulic-operated metal hatch covers that can often be operated by one person. Hatch covers can slide forwards, backwards, or to

8960-530: The first bulk carrier to be partially powered by hard sail wind power propulsion technology. A five percent fuel savings was anticipated. The world's bulk transport has reached immense proportions: in 2005, 1.7 billion metric tons of coal, iron ore, grain, bauxite, and phosphate was transported by ship. Today, the world's bulk carrier fleet includes 6,225 ships of over 10,000 DWT, and represent 40% of all ships in terms of tonnage and 39.4% in terms of vessels. Including smaller ships, bulk carriers have

9088-512: The fourth ( Vale Hebei ) on 28 September, the fifth ( Vale Shandong ) on 7 December 2012, the sixth ( Vale Jiangsu ) on 23 March 2013, the seventh ( Vale Caofeidian ) on 22 July 2013, the eighth ( Vale Lianyungang ) on 22 November 2013, the ninth ( Ore Majishan ; renamed before delivery) on 11 July 2014, the tenth ( Ore Tianjin ; renamed before delivery) on 18 October 2014, and the eleventh ( Ore Rizhao ; renamed before delivery) on 15 December 2014. The twelfth and last Valemax vessel of

9216-411: The hatch cover. This system is being replaced with faster, less labor-intensive methods. Double-articulation cranes , which can load at a rate of 1,000 tons per hour, represent a widely used method, and the use of shore-based gantry cranes , reaching 2,000 tons per hour, is growing. A crane's discharge rate is limited by the bucket's capacity (from 6 to 40 tons) and by the speed at which

9344-454: The highest rate of growth. This is partly due to new regulations coming into effect which put greater constraints on the building of larger vessels. Handymax ships are typically 150–200 m in length and 52,000 – 58,000  DWT with five cargo holds and four cranes. These ships are also general purpose in nature. The size of a Panamax vessel is limited by the Panama canal's lock chambers , which can accommodate ships with

9472-402: The hold is filled, machines such as excavators and bulldozers are often used to keep the cargo in check. Leveling is particularly important when the hold is only partly full, since cargo is more likely to shift. Extra precautions are taken, such as adding longitudinal divisions and securing wood atop the cargo. If a hold is full, a technique called tomming is used, which involves digging out

9600-452: The large size of the vessels the emissions per cargo ton-mile are very low and thus the Valemax vessels are in fact among the most efficient long-distance dry bulk carriers in service – Vale has reported a 35% drop in emissions per ton of cargo carried in comparison to older ships. In the second series, the main engine has been changed to more efficient MAN B&W 7G80ME-C9 engine producing about 33,000 kW (44,000 hp) at 72 rpm, and

9728-519: The late 1850s led to the establishment of Det Norske Veritas (DNV) in 1864. RINA was founded in Genoa, Italy in 1861 under the name Registro Italiano Navale , to meet the needs of Italian maritime operators. Germanischer Lloyd (GL) was formed in 1867 and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) in 1899. The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) was an early offshoot of the River Register of 1913. As

9856-537: The levels of 1977. According to the chief executive of BIMCO , the Valemax vessels could displace up to 168 150,000–180,000-ton capesize bulk carriers, around 15% of the existing fleet, from the long haul voyages and force them to less profitable shorter routes. Vale responded to the criticism by stating that the company aims to permanently cut the costs of Atlantic-Pacific dry bulk shipping to make Brazilian ore more competitive against iron ore produced in Australia, which

9984-447: The loading of only 750,000 tons of iron ore, on 11 November 1994 Trade Daring , a 145,000 DWT ore-bulk-oil carrier , broke in two at the same location due to incorrect loading, blocking the deepwater pier of Ponta da Madeira for more than six weeks before the wreck was removed and scuttled offshore. After the incident, the China Shipowners' Association (CSA) questioned the safety of the 400,000-ton ore carriers commissioned by Vale. CSA

10112-403: The longest ships currently in service. With a maximum draught of between 22 and 23 metres (72 and 75 ft) while loaded, the ships are limited only to a few deepwater ports in Brazil, Europe and China. In ballast the ships draw around 12 metres (39 ft) of water. The breadth of the Valemax ships is about 65 metres (213 ft). The size of the ships is limited mainly by Chinese ports and

10240-539: The new iron ore carriers. However, none of the original 35 Valemax vessels retains its original name. When Vale signed a $ 500 million contract with the Chinese shipping company Shandong Shipping for the operation of four Valemax vessels, the ships were given new names beginning with Shandong . Similarly, when four Valemax vessels were sold to China Ore Shipping, the vessels were given names beginning with Yuan and ending with Hai . Additional four Valemax vessels were given names starting with Pacific after Vale sold

10368-482: The only classification society to do so. Classification surveyors inspect ships to make sure that the ship, its components and machinery are built and maintained according to the standards required for their class. In the second half of the 18th century, London merchants, shipowners, and captains often gathered at Edward Lloyd's coffee house to gossip and make deals including sharing the risks and rewards of individual voyages. This became known as underwriting after

10496-507: The original order by Vale, Ore Ningbo (renamed before delivery), was delivered on 23 January 2015. On 2 November 2008, Oman Shipping Company signed a framework agreement with RSHI for the construction of four 400,000-ton vessels to transport iron ore from Brazil to the Port of Sohar in Oman , where Vale is expected to open a steel plant in near future. The shipbuilding contract, worth US$ 483 million,

10624-689: The port of Lianyungang en route from the Vale transshipment hub in Subic Bay, Philippines. However, at the time the Chinese officials had not yet lifted the ban for fully laden Valemax vessels. The first fully laden Valemax vessel to call a Chinese port since 2012, Shandong Da Ren , docked at the Dongjiakou port in Qingdao on 2 October 2014. The ban was officially lifted in July 2015. Originally, Vale planned to own and manage

10752-538: The practice of signing one's name to the bottom of a document pledging to make good a portion of the losses if the ship didn't make it in return for a portion of the profits. It did not take long to realize that the underwriters needed a way of assessing the quality of the ships that they were being asked to insure. In 1760, the Register Society was formed — the first classification society and the one which would subsequently become Lloyd's Register — to publish an annual register of ships. This publication attempted to classify

10880-495: The problem of efficient loading and unloading has driven the evolution of the bulk carrier. Specialized bulk carriers began to appear as steam-powered ships became more popular. The first steam ship recognized as a bulk carrier was the British collier John Bowes , built in 1852. She featured a metal hull , a steam engine , and a ballasting system which used seawater instead of sandbags. These features helped her succeed in

11008-484: The process of construction and commissioning, and periodically survey vessels to ensure that they continue to meet the rules. Classification societies are also responsible for classing oil platforms , other offshore structures, and submarines . This survey process covers diesel engines, important shipboard pumps and other vital machinery. Since the 1950s, the USSR (now Russian) Register of Shipping has classified nuclear ships,

11136-399: The sacks onto pallets , and put the pallets into the cargo hold with a crane . The second method required the shipper to charter an entire ship and spend time and money to build plywood bins into the holds. Then, to guide the cargo through the small hatches, wooden feeders and shifting boards had to be constructed. These methods were slow and labor-intensive . As with the container ship ,

11264-407: The same size have an additional deck officer and unlicensed mariner . A bulk carrier's voyages are determined by market forces; routes and cargoes often vary. A ship may engage in the grain trade during the harvest season and later move on to carry other cargoes or work on a different route. Aboard a coastal carrier in the tramp trade , the crew will often not know the next port of call until

11392-416: The ship and to obtain marine insurance on the ship, and may be required to be produced before a ship's entry into some ports or waterways, and may be of interest to charterers and potential buyers. To avoid liability, classification societies explicitly disclaim responsibility for the safety, fitness for purpose, or seaworthiness of the ship, but is a verification only that the vessel is in compliance with

11520-468: The ship's empty weight (called light ton displacement or LDT) and prices in the scrap metal market. In 1998, almost 700 ships were scrapped in places like Alang, India and Chittagong, Bangladesh . This is often done by 'beaching' the ship on open sand, then cutting it apart by hand with gas torches, a dangerous operation that results in injuries and fatalities, as well as exposure to toxic materials such as asbestos, lead, and various chemicals. Half

11648-416: The shipbuilding industry to create more jobs and increase local demand for steel and other products. Agnelli, who later left his position following continued criticism, replied that the Brazilian shipyards did not have the capacity to build such ships and stated that during the past few years Vale had commissioned 51 vessels from Brazilian shipyards. Very large ore carrier A bulk carrier or bulker

11776-458: The ships built by RSHI and Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry have Wärtsilä 7RT-flex82T and 7RT-flex84T engines, respectively. Both MAN and Wärtsilä engines will have a maximum continuous rating of around 29,000 kW (39,000 hp) when turning the 10-metre (33 ft) propeller at 76–78 rpm, giving the ships a service speed of around 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) while burning almost 100 tons of heavy fuel oil per day. However, due to

11904-448: The ships of this size are generally referred to as Chinamax vessels. The largest bulk carriers ever built, the Valemax vessels have seven cargo holds with a total gross volume of almost 220,000 cubic metres (287,749 cu yd). In addition to increasing the strength of the hull special attention has also been paid to improve the speed and efficiency of the loading and discharging operations. Each cargo hold can be fully loaded by

12032-477: The ships to China Merchants Energy Shipping . Additionally, a number of Valemax vessels have been renamed by replacing Vale with Ore or Sea but retaining the second part of the name. Vale Sohar , Vale Saham , Vale Liwa and Vale Shinas have also been renamed Sohar Max , Saham Max , Liwa Max and Shinas Max , respectively. Although similar in size, there are some differences in main dimensions, cargo capacity, machinery and external appearance between

12160-470: The short trip distance and fast turnarounds. As of 2005, the average bulk carrier was just over 13 years old. About 41% of all bulk carriers were less than ten years old, 33% were over twenty years old, and the remaining 26% were between ten and twenty years of age. All of the 98 bulk carriers registered in the Great Lakes trade are over 20 years old and the oldest still sailing in 2009, the St. Mary's Challenger ,

12288-501: The side, lift up or fold up. It is essential that the hatch covers be watertight: unsealed hatches lead to accidental cargo hold flooding, which has caused many bulk carriers to sink. Regulations regarding hatch covers have evolved since the investigation following the loss of the MV ; Derbyshire . The Load Line Conference of 1966 imposed a requirement that hatch covers be able to withstand load of 1.74 tons/m due to sea water, and

12416-528: The smallest ships to over 30 on the largest. Cargo loading operations vary in complexity, and loading and discharging of cargo can take several days. Bulk carriers can be gearless (dependent upon terminal equipment) or geared (having cranes integral to the vessel). Bulk cargo can be very dense, corrosive, or abrasive. This can present safety problems that can threaten a ship: problems such as cargo shifting , spontaneous combustion , and cargo saturation. The use of old ships that have corrosion problems—as well as

12544-440: The soundness of their structure and design for the purpose of the vessel. The classification rules are designed to ensure an acceptable degree of stability, safety, environmental impact, etc. In particular, classification societies may be authorised to inspect ships, oil rigs, submarines, and other marine structures and issue certificates on behalf of the flag state . As well as providing classification and certification services,

12672-505: The state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) . Later that month, a 25-year freight contract was signed between Vale and China Merchants Group. As part of the agreement, the Chinese shipping company will construct 10 new very large ore carriers to transport iron ore from Brazil to China. Following these agreements, China's ban for Valemax vessels has been effectively lifted and fully laden ships called Chinese ports. In May 2015, four ships were sold China Ore Shipping Pte. Ltd ,

12800-560: The top three owners of bulk carriers, with 1,326, 1,041, and 979 vessels respectively. These three nations account for over 53% of the world's fleet. Several companies have large private bulk carrier fleets. The multinational company Gearbulk Holding Ltd. has over 70 bulk carriers. The Fednav Group in Canada operates a fleet of over 80 bulk carriers, including two designed to work in Arctic ice. Croatia 's Atlantska Plovidba d.d. has

12928-585: The total order to seven 400,000-ton Valemax vessels. Despite receiving the order later than the Chinese shipyard, DSME launched the first Valemax class ore carrier, Vale Brasil , on 31 December 2010 and delivered the ship to Vale in March 2011. Vale Brasil was followed by Vale Rio de Janeiro on 22 September 2011, Vale Italia on 25 October 2011, Vale Malaysia on 27 March 2012, Vale Carajas on 29 May 2012, and Vale Minas Gerais on 13 July 2012. The last Valemax ship to be built by DSME, Vale Korea ,

13056-595: The transshipment hub Vale has constructed at Subic Bay in the Philippines . On 31 January 2012, the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China officially banned dry bulk carriers with capacity exceeding 300,000 tons from entering Chinese ports in order to protect the domestic freight industry. Prior to this, only one of the new very large ore carrier chartered by Vale, Berge Everest , had unloaded Brazilian iron ore at

13184-424: The two remaining ships were supposed to be delivered by the end of 2013, only Vale Maranhao entered service on 29 August. The last Valemax vessel to be built by STX, originally named Vale Ponta da Madeira but later referred to by its yard number "STX Dalian 1707", was launched sometime in 2015. However, the vessel was never finished and instead was listed as "for sale" in an unfinished state. In March 2016, it

13312-424: The world's merchant fleets, and they range in size from single-hold mini-bulk carriers to mammoth ore ships able to carry 400,000  metric tons of deadweight (DWT). A number of specialized designs exist: some can unload their own cargo, some depend on port facilities for unloading, and some even package the cargo as it is loaded. Over half of all bulk carriers have Greek, Japanese, or Chinese owners, and more than

13440-455: Was coastal . However, on the Great Lakes, bulk carriers hauled vast amounts of iron ore from Minnesota and Michigan's northern mines to the steel mills. In 1929, 73 million tons of iron ore was transported on the Lakes, and an almost equal amount of coal, limestone, and other products were also moved. Two defining characteristics of bulk carriers were already emerging: the double bottom , which

13568-707: Was 106 years old. As of 2005, the United States Maritime Administration counted 6,225 bulk carriers of 10,000  DWT or greater worldwide. More bulk carriers are registered in Panama , with 1,703 ships, more than any four other flag states combined. In terms of the number of bulk carriers registered, the top five flag states also include Hong Kong with 492 ships, Malta (435), Cyprus (373), and China (371). Panama also dominates bulk carrier registration in terms of deadweight tonnage . Positions two through five are held by Hong Kong, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus. Greece, Japan, and China are

13696-654: Was adopted in 1890, and the triangular structure of the ballast tanks, which was introduced in 1905. After World War II, an international bulk trade began to develop among industrialized nations , particularly between the European countries, the United States and Japan. Due to the economics of this trade, ocean bulk carriers became larger and more specialized. In this period, Great Lakes freighters increased in size, to maximize economies of scale, and self-unloaders became more common to cut turnaround time . The thousand-footers of

13824-496: Was allowed to dock in the Chinese port of Lianyungang in the Jiangsu province. The ban was officially lifted in July 2015 as China's transport ministry and National Development and Reform Commission announced that four ports would be opened up for 400,000-ton vessels. On 7 September 2013, Vale Indonesia ran aground on a sandbar about 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) north of São Luís . The vessel, operated by STX Pan Ocean,

13952-505: Was announced that only two or three Valemax vessels will be delivered from the Chinese shipyard in 2011 instead of the planned six due to delays in construction. In the end, only one ship ( Vale China ) was delivered before the end of the year. Furthermore, later reports claimed that the ships ordered by Vale had a capacity of only 380,000 tons even though according to the Det Norske Veritas database entries all Chinese-built ships have

14080-462: Was built in 1986. While the draft of the old vessel is the same as that of the Valemax vessels — 23 metres (75 ft) — the new ships are 20 metres (66 ft) longer and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wider than the old freighter, and can carry about 10% more cargo. The Valemax vessels are also the second largest ships in service by deadweight tonnage, second only to the TI-class supertankers that have

14208-517: Was criticized by the vice-executive chairman of the CSA, Zhang Shouguo , who called it "waste of resource" and questioned Vale's ability to run the fleet as properly as professional shipping companies. The transshipment operations ended in 2017 and both Ore Fabrica and Ore Sossego were sold for scrap . In May 2012, the largest Chinese operator of dry bulk carriers, state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO), claimed that Vale had refused to use

14336-423: Was delivered also by STX Jinhae on 13 April 2012, but the third and fourth ships, Vale Espirito Santo and Vale Indonesia , were built by STX Dalian and delivered on 17 September 2012 and 30 October 2012, respectively. The fifth ship, Vale Fujiyama , was again built by STX Jinhae and delivered on 26 November 2012. The sixth ship, Vale Tubarao , was delivered by STX Dalian on 30 January 2013. While both of

14464-477: Was delivered in 2011 and the last in 2016. The first Valemax vessels were ordered on 3 August 2008 when Vale signed a contract with the Chinese shipbuilder Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries (RSHI) for the construction of twelve 400,000-ton ore carriers. The development had reportedly started in 2007. The contract, worth $ 1.6 billion, was the world's biggest single shipbuilding contract by deadweight tonnage. The first Chinese-built Valemax vessel, Vale China ,

14592-480: Was delivered in September 2011, for inspection and repairs on 21 April 2012. Vale Beijing returned to service in July 2012. Had Vale Beijing sunk at the pier instead of being moved to an anchorage area outside the port shortly after the leak was detected, the incident would have severely delayed the operations at the port which ships out about 10 percent of the world's iron ore production. While Vale Beijing delayed

14720-550: Was delivered on 11 January 2018 and the last one of the series, Yuan Qian Hai , in January 2020. In December 2016, the Japanese shipping company NS United ordered a single 400,000   DWT very large ore carrier from Japan Marine United after signing a 25-year contract with Vale. The vessel, which would become the first Valemax ship built in Japan, was delivered in December 2019 as NSU Carajas . A second vessel ( NSU Brazil ),

14848-547: Was delivered on 9 April 2013. In addition to the ships Vale ordered for itself, more ships of similar size were to be built for other shipping companies and chartered to Vale under exclusive long-term contracts. Eight very large ore carriers were ordered from the South Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore & Shipbuilding in Jinhae , South Korea (STX Jinhae), and Dalian , China (STX Dalian). The shipping company, STX Pan Ocean , signed

14976-623: Was founded in Antwerp in 1828, moving to Paris in 1832. Lloyd's Register reconstituted in 1834 to become 'Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping'. Where previously surveys had been undertaken by retired sea captains, from this time surveyors started to be employed and Lloyd's Register formed a General Committee for the running of the Society and for the Rules regarding ship construction and maintenance, which began to be published from this time. In 1834,

15104-468: Was fully laden with 390,000 tons of iron ore bound for Vale's transhipment hub in Subic Bay. Two ballast tanks were reportedly breached, but there were no injuries or pollution, and the vessel was not in danger of sinking. On 28 November 2020, arriving at Ponta da Madeira terminal in Brazil, NSU Carajas allided with two Liberian-flagged 179,000  DWT bulk carriers, Star Janni and Korona D , already berthed there. While there were no injuries among

15232-481: Was initially also scheduled to be delivered in 2012, but entered service on 4 January 2013. Had Vale not ordered the Valemax fleet in 2008, these ships would have become the largest bulk carriers in the world, surpassing Berge Bulk's own Berge Stahl . The four ships have since been chartered by Vale and, despite slight differences in design and contract date predating that of the ships ordered by Vale, they are also referred to as Valemax vessels. In March 2016, it

15360-538: Was launched at the Nantong shipyard on 9 July 2011 and delivered on 25 November 2011. Although it was expected that the first Chinese-built Valemax vessel would call a Chinese port on its maiden voyage, the ship was diverted to the new transshipment hub Vale had constructed in Philippines. The second RSHI-built Valemax ship for Vale ( Vale Dongjiakou ) was delivered on 9 April 2012, the third ( Vale Dalian ) on 20 May,

15488-498: Was not allowed to enter the Chinese port fully laden, but according to Vale the destination was changed due to commercial, not political reasons. The ship arrived at the port of Taranto on 14 July 2011 to discharge her cargo. Since then, fully laden Valemax vessels have unloaded at various ports, such as Dalian in China, Sohar in Oman , Rotterdam , Ōita in Japan , Dangjin in South Korea, and

15616-526: Was ordered in June 2017 and a third ( NSU Tubarao ) later that year; both were delivered in late 2020. On 24 May 2011, Vale Brasil received her first cargo at the Brazilian port Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira , 391,000 tons of iron ore bound for Dalian in China. However, the ship turned back towards the Atlantic Ocean in June after rounding the Cape of Good Hope and was rerouted to Taranto , Italy . There had been speculation that Vale Brasil

15744-461: Was particularly concerned about the ability of the newly built ships to withstand various sea conditions and the pollution resulting from fuel oil leaks in case of structural damage — each Valemax ship can carry around 10,000 tons of fuel oil. In January 2012 China officially banned the vessels from Chinese ports. However, in April 2013, The China Shipping Association confirmed that the first Valemax vessel

15872-413: Was reported that Vale Beijing , operated by STX Pan Ocean, had suffered structural damage during her first cargo loading and was in danger of sinking at the port of Ponta da Madeira in Brazil due to sea water entering ruptured ballast tanks and cargo holds. The South Korean-built Valemax ship, partially loaded with 260,000 tons of iron ore, was towed away from Pier 1 by tugboats in the following day and as

16000-422: Was reported that the last of the original 35 Valemax vessels to be built had been sold for just $ 16.8 million. Initially anonymous, the buyer was later identified as Pan Ocean (formerly STX Pan Ocean), the shipping company who originally ordered the vessel. The unfinished vessel was completed by the Chinese shipyard Shanhaiguan Shipbuilding and named Sea Ponta da Madeira . On 30 April 2007 Berge Bulk signed

16128-581: Was reported that three Chinese companies China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) , China Merchants Energy Shipping and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) had ordered ten Valemax vessels each from four Chinese shipyards with a total price of US$ 2.5 billion. The Valemax ships ordered by China Merchants Energy Shipping would be built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (4 ships), Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding (4 ships), and China Merchants Group -controlled China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) (2 ships). China COSCO Shipping Corporation awarded

16256-433: Was seen as a move against the Chinese officials who have not allowed the 400,000-ton ships to dock in Chinese ports. However, the reports were rebutted by RSHI, who called them "inaccurate and unfounded". On 26 October 2009, Vale ordered four Valemax vessels from the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for $ 460 million. Further three ships were ordered from DSME in July 2010, bringing

16384-581: Was signed in July 2009. Initially the ships were to be named Jazer , Yanqul , Al Kamil and Wafi , but instead they will be named Vale Liwa , Vale Sohar , Vale Shinas and Vale Saham . The steel cutting ceremony for the first two vessels was held on 8 July 2010 and they were launched on 19 March 2012. Vale Liwa entered service in August 2012, followed by Vale Sohar in September 2012, Vale Saham in January 2013, and Vale Shinas in March 2013. The ships reportedly received additional strengthening due to

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