September 2 - Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has launched the 151.5 m long RollDock Star, with a deadweight of 8,000 tons, for the Dutch shipping line RollDock BV.
Readers may recall the news item posted on June 27, reporting that RollDock Star was set for delivery at the end of November followed by her sister, RollDock Storm, four months later.
A specialised newbuilding designed to carry demanding cargo and heavy project loads, RollDock Star offers a range of different loading possibilities. Two heavy-duty cranes lift cargo weighing up to 700 tonnes; a stern ramp and hatch covers mean that individual loads of up to 3,000 tonnes can be taken onboard or offloaded in classic ro-ro mode; the ship can also be submerged more than 12 m allowing cargo to be floated in or out.
FSG says that the innovative solutions incorporated in this design demonstrate the high-value approach which enables it to score points in specialised shipbuilding. The new ship design also accommodates 32 people, so that specialised personnel required for sometimes highly complex project loads can travel along with the crew.
A video of RollDock Star can be seen on the right-hand side of this page.
