| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Vale Brasil[1] |
| Owner: | Vale Shipping Holding Pte. Ltd.[1] |
| Port of registry: | Singapore[1] |
| Route: | Brazil to China[2] |
| Ordered: | 26 October 2009[1] |
| Builder: | Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd, South Korea[1] |
| Yard number: | 1201[1] |
| Laid down: | 15 November 2010[1] |
| Launched: | 31 December 2010[1] |
| Completed: | 30 March 2011[1] |
| In service: | 2011– |
| Identification: | IMO 9488918[1] Call sign 9V9127[1] MMSI 56490500[3] |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type: | Bulk carrier |
| Classification: | Det Norske Veritas |
| Tonnage: | 198,980 GT 67,993 NT 402,347 DWT |
| Length: | LOA 362.0 m (1,187.7 ft) LPP 350.0 m (1,148.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 65.0 m (213.3 ft) |
| Draught: | 23.0 m (75.5 ft) (moulded) |
| Depth: | 30.4 m (99.7 ft) |
| Main engine: | MAN B&W 7S80ME-C8 (29,260 kW)[4] |
| Auxiliary engines: | 3 × Hyundai-HiMSEN 6H21/32 (3 × 1,270 kW)[3] |
| Propulsion: | Fixed-pitch propeller |
| Speed: | 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph)[3] |
| Crew: | 33[3] |
MS Vale Brasil, owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale, is the world's largest bulk carrier.[2] Designed to carry iron ore from Brazil to Asia along the Cape route around South Africa, she is the first of seven 400,000-ton very large ore carriers (VLOC) ordered by Vale from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea and twelve from Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries in China.[5][6] While close to the specifications of Chinamax, these ships are generally referred to as Valemax vessels by Vale.[7]
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The overall length of the Vale Brasil is 362.0 metres (1,187.7 ft), making her one of the longest ships currently in service. The breadth and depth of her hull are 65.0 metres (213.3 ft) and 30.4 metres (99.7 ft), respectively, giving her a gross tonnage of 198,980.[1]
The Vale Brasil has seven cargo holds with a combined gross volume of 219,980 cubic metres and net tonnage of 67,993.[3] Her deadweight tonnage is 402,347 tons. When carrying a full load of iron ore, equal to around 11,150 trucks,[8] her draught is 23 metres (75.5 ft).[1] Like other very large ore carriers of her size, the Vale Brasil is limited to only a few deepwater ports in Brazil, Europe and China.[9][10]
The Vale Brasil is propelled by a single MAN B&W 7S80ME-C8 two-stroke low-speed diesel engine directly coupled to a fixed-pitch propeller.[1] The main engine, which has a maximum output of 29,260 kilowatts (39,240 hp) at 78 rpm, burns 96.7 tons of heavy fuel oil per day.[3][11] However, due to the large size of the vessel the emissions per cargo ton-mile are very low, making the Vale Brasil in fact one of the most efficient long-distance dry bulk carriers in service, and for this reason the ship received the Clean Ship award of 2011 in the Norwegian shipping exhibition Nor-Shipping. Vale has reported 35 % drop in emissions per ton of cargo in comparison to older ships.[4] Her service speed is 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph).[3]
The Vale Brasil is classified by Det Norske Veritas with a class notation of 1A1 Ore Carrier ESP ES(O) E0 NAUT-OC BWM-E(s) IB-3 COAT-PSPC(B) CSA-2 BIS EL-2 TMON NAUTICUS(Newbuilding).[1]
The Vale Brasil is considerably larger than the previous record-holder, Berge Stahl, in every respect. Both her gross tonnage and deadweight tonnage are larger than those of the Norwegian ship, 175,720 and 364,767 tons, respectively. While the draught of both ships is the same, the Vale Brasil is also 20 metres (65.6 ft) longer and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wider than the Berge Stahl.[12] In addition the Vale Brasil is larger and slightly longer than the four new 388,000-ton, 361-metre (1,184 ft) Chinamax bulk carriers Berge Bulk has ordered from China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.[13] Had the Vale Brasil not been built, these ships would have become the largest bulk carriers in the world.
She is also the second largest ship currently in service by deadweight tonnage, second only to the TI class supertankers that have a deadweight tonnage of over 440,000 tons.[14]
On 24 May 2011 the Vale Brasil received her first cargo at the Brazilian port Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira — 391,000 tons of iron ore, enough to produce steel for more than three Golden Gate bridges, bound for Dalian in China.[15] However, in June, after rounding the Cape of Good Hope, the ship was rerouted to Taranto, Italy, and turned back towards the Atlantic Ocean.[16] There had been speculation that the Vale Brasil was not allowed to enter the Chinese port fully laden, but according to Vale the destination was changed due to commercial, not political reasons.[17] The ship arrived at the port of Taranto on 14 July 2011.[18]