May 30, 2008 - Tokyo, Japan - Universal Shipbuilding Corporation/Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" LINE). The 300,000 DWT type ore carrier "GRANDE PROGRESSO" of Kawasaki Kisen’s 100% owned foreign subsidiary was delivered today at Ariake Shipyard of Universal Shipbuilding Corporation.
"GRANDE PROGRESSO" is the first very large ore carrier dedicated for loading at Brazil and unloading at Villanueva, Philippines* for JFE Steel Corporation. Aiming to be "the most optimum large-size vessel for iron ore shipment," the vessel is the first of the "Unimax Ore," the revolutionary 300,000 DWT type ore carrier that has the versatility to enter major iron ore loading ports in western Australia, while having a hull form most suitable for making the best use of very deep water of Villanueva and focusing on very deep water ports in Brazil, one of the largest place of iron ore loading.
In order to be able to handle various loading methods, the vessel is designed with the sufficient hull strength and each cargo hold is equipped with the world’s largest single panel hatch cover so as to enable efficient cargo handling. The vessel is also equipped with energy saving devices developed by Universal Shipbuilding, thus enabling dramatically improved propulsive performance and fuel consumption compared with conventional large-size ore carriers.