Page 16 - 2024 - Q3 - Minerva in Focus

Bulk Carriers A look into Minerva’s Newbuildings

Minerva Dry’s recent order for
three high-performance 64,000-
DWT dry bulk carriers from Oshima
Shipbuilding in Japan – a renowned
builder of bulk carriers – will
see Minerva’s first-ever vessels
classed by ClassNK.

ClassNK is honoured to hold the No. 1 share in the number of ships
registered by Greek owners while also leading in bulk carrier regis-
trations. Leveraging its longstanding presence in Piraeus and close
connections with Greek shipowners, ClassNK has successfully
strengthened these relationships.
It is always a matter of celebration when ClassNK’s role in developing
and upholding the rules behind safe and efficient bulk carriers attracts
a new client, but this is a special milestone for our Greek office, given
Minerva’s continuing drive to grow its fleet of sustainable ships.
The ClassNK Hull Department has already examined and approved
the drawings for Minerva's bulkers to verify their alignment with
ClassNK’s latest revision of Part CSR-B of its Rules and Guidance
for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships.
At this point, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the
CSR. The IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR) for bulk carriers
We look forward and oil tankers were developed to unify safety standards for these
vessels. Initially, separate rules existed for bulk carriers (CSR-BC)
to the delivery and double-hull oil tankers (CSR-OT), which were adopted in 2005.
Harmonisation efforts began in response to calls for consistency, and
of Minerva Dry’s new, in 2013 IACS adopted the unified CSR-BC&OT, which aligns with
the IMO’s Goal-Based Standards (GBS). This unified rule applies to
state-of-the-art bulk carriers over 90 meters and double-hull oil tankers over 150
meters, effective for contracts dated after 1 July 2015.
bulk carrier trio The CSR-BC&OT aims to enhance safety by eliminating inconsisten-
cies between the structural rules for bulk carriers and oil tankers. It
defines specific requirements for ship design and construction, ad-
dressing load-bearing capacity, fatigue resistance, buckling strength,
by Daiji Aihara, and corrosion protection. The rule also includes detailed guidelines
Deputy General Manager for performing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on all cargo areas, ex-
of Piraeus Office, panding the scope of assessment to improve structural integrity
ClassNK under various operating conditions.
ClassNK played a key role in the development of the CSR-BC&OT
by actively contributing to the IACS harmonisation efforts. ClassNK
provided specialists for project teams to optimise those requirements
It is an honour to be part and reviewed industry feedback to ensure alignment with IACS and
IMO standards. ClassNK’s involvement was critical in shaping the
of the Minerva success technical requirements of the unified rules.
To assist ship designers in meeting CSR-BC&OT requirements,
story and to offer ClassNK developed PrimeShip-HULL HCSR, a trusted and easy-to-
our support to a ship use tool. Offering powerful features for prescriptive calculations and
finite element analysis, it facilitates efficient and accurate structural
management company assessments, saving both time and effort. Seamlessly integrated with
CAD and CAE software, it speeds up data import and modelling.
so highly regarded for ClassNK also provides extensive support, including regular updates,
training, and a dedicated help desk.
its standards in ensuring Working together with Minerva and Oshima Shipbuilding, ClassNK
the safety and high looks forward to a truly collaborative process resulting in the delivery
of Minerva Dry’s new, state-of-the-art bulk carrier trio. For ClassNK,
performance of its fleet it is an honour to be part of Minerva's success story and to offer our
support to a ship management company so highly regarded for its
standards in ensuring the safety and high performance of its fleet.

16 ISSUE 29 / Q3 2024