First VLCC vessel to use mooring ropes made with ultra-strong Dyneema® fiber22-Nov-07

DSM Dyneema, maker of ultra-strong, lightweight Dyneema® polyethylene fiber, today announced that COSCO Dalian, a subsidiary of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, has selected mooring lines made with Dyneema® fiber for its newest Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), the Cospearl Lake. Following a successful eight-month sea trial on its Cosmerry Lake VLCC, COSCO Dalian found that, in comparison with steel wire mooring lines, ropes made with Dyneema® enabled a reduction in mooring time and significantly improved crew safety. DSM Dyneema worked closely with COSCO Dalian during the sea trial to document performance of the new ropes.

With a steady increase in the length and capacity of oil and LNG carriers and the trend toward mooring in more exposed conditions, greater loads are placed on mooring lines. However, when steel wire lines are made stronger, they become too large and heavy to handle. Dyneema® fiber is exceptionally strong for its weight; a mooring line made with Dyneema® that is as strong as steel wire will have the same diameter but weighs only one-eighth as much. Therefore, ropes made with Dyneema® can be handled more easily. For example, instead of being restricted to deploying one steel wire line at a time, a mooring boat can carry two ropes made with Dyneema®, significantly reducing mooring time. On top of that, less weight can help avoid crew injury. Finally, because Dyneema® fiber provides a low elongation of less than 2.5 percent at break, there is minimal backlash in case of failure.

Zhao Jinwen, General Manager of Technical Department COSCO Dalian, said, “At COSCO we are always looking for new ways to improve the safety and efficiency of our operations, and this is why we trialed the lines made with Dyneema®. We were very impressed with the results. The mooring ropes are lighter and easier for seamen to handle, which helps avoid injury at sea and ashore, and speeds up the mooring process. We dramatically reduced mooring time, which will help lower port fees and allow faster turnarounds for our vessels. We are looking forward to the launch of the Cospearl Lake and the many benefits Dyneema® technology will bring to its operation.”

The new ship is equipped with a full set of 22 ropes, each 280 meters long and with a required breaking strength of 1300kN.

Edwin Grootendorst, Marketing Manager Heavy Marine for DSM Dyneema, said, “The ease of handling and stowing of lightweight mooring ropes made with Dyneema® provides so many advantages that many shipping companies are moving away from steel wire. We have been very successful in certain areas already - more than 75 percent of new-construction LNG tankers scheduled for delivery in the next few years will be equipped with mooring lines made with Dyneema®, and we clearly see increased interest for VLCC and bulk carriers. As a global leader in shipping, COSCO is also taking the lead in adopting a better and safer technology for mooring its ships.”