MV Tønsberg

Tønsberg in the port of Bruges-Zeebrugge
History
Name:	Tønsberg
Namesake:	Tønsberg
Owner:	Wilh. Wilhelmsen
Port of registry:	Valletta, Malta[1]
Builder:	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki, Japan[2]
Launched:	2011[1]
Identification:	IMO number: 9515383[1] MMSI number: 249904000[1] Call sign: 9HA2066[1]
General characteristics
Class and type:	Mark V[2]
Type:	roll-on/roll-off
Tonnage:	75,251 GT[1] 41,820 DWT[1]
Length:	265 metres (869 ft)[2]
Beam:	32.27 metres (105.9 ft)[1]
Decks:	Six fixed decks; three hoistable decks[2]
Installed power:	7-cylinder MAN B&W engine[3] providing 20,100 kilowatts (27,000 hp)
Propulsion:	7.3m diameter 6-bladed propeller; two 2,500-kW Kawasaki thrusters (one stern, one bow)
Speed:	20.25 knots (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph)[4]
Capacity:	138,000 cubic metres (4,900,000 cu ft)[2] 5,990 TEU[4]

MV Tønsberg is a roll-on/roll-off ship owned by Wilh. Wilhelmsen. As of 2012 it is the largest RORO ship in the world.^[5]

Specification

• Dimensions: MV Tønsberg is 265m length overall and 32.26m wide, and has 11m draught and 46m of airdraught. Gross tonnage is 76,500 gt. Capacity is 5% - 7% higher than Mark IV roro ships.
• Decks: Six fixed decks and three hoistable ones (4B, 6 and 8, lifted by electric winches). The main deck can take loads 7.1m high - more than other vessels - allowing very large loads. The total deck space is 50,335 m² and cargo volume is 138,000 m³. Internal ramps are 8 metres wide; The weather deck (which can be used for outsize or unusual loads, such as wind turbine blades) also has a 4m wide ramp from below, to reduce the need for cranes.^[6]
• Stern ramp: The stern ramp is 12m wide and can take loads of 505 tonnes.
• Design: Hull form has been improved, so compared to previous ships it will use 15 - 20% less fuel per unit of cargo.^[2] Stability has been improved, to reduce the need for ballast water. There is a double bottom and Deck 5 is also watertight.
• Propulsion: 7-cylinder MAN B&W engine, which has been derated from 22,890 kW^[3] to 20,100 kW MCR at 108rpm; (although normal output in service is 18,090 kW), driving a 7.3m diameter 6-bladed propeller; plus two 2,500 kW Kawasaki thrusters (one each at the bow and the stern). Service speed is 20.25 knots.^[7]

History

MV Tønsberg is the fourth Wilhelmsen ship to carry this name; it's named after the Norwegian coastal town where Wilhelmsen was founded in 1861.^[8] It was built to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wilh. Wilhelmsen line. It is the first in a series of four "Mark V" ships, built in 2010-2011 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, in Japan.^[7] The second ship of the class, Parsifal, was delivered in September 2011.^[9]

In June 2012, Tønsberg was awarded "Ship of the Year 2011" by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers, recognising its efficiency and environmental compatibility.^[10]

References

1. "TONSBERG". Marine Traffic. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
2. "Wilh. Wilhelmsen launches next generation cargo vessel". Wilhelmsen press release. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
3. "MAN B&W L70ME-C8-TII Project Guide" (PDF). MAN. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
4. "Tønsberg". http://www.wilhelmsenasa.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016. External link in |website= (help)
5. "Wilhelmsen launches largest ro-ro ship". Logistics Manager. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
6. "Wilh. Wilhelmsen launches next generation ro-ro ship". Heavy Lift & project Forwarding International. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
7. "Wilhelmsen new ro-ro is biggest ever". The Motorship. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
8. "Utsatt dåp for verdens største RoRo skip". skips-revyen. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
9. "Parsifal hits new notes for heavy lift". Heavy Lift & project Forwarding International. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
10. "TØNSBERG, MHI's Massive RO/RO Vessel, Awarded "Ship of the Year　2011": High Transport Efficiency and Environmental Compatibility Recognized". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Retrieved 1 July 2012.

Further reading

• Photos of MV Tønsberg