On October 24, Chinese shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), a subsidiary of CSSC, named and delivered a gree luxury RoPax vessel “GNV Polaris”, which was tailor-made for Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), a passenger ferry operator under Mediterranean Shipping Group (MSC).
The “GNV Polaris” was designed and built by Guangzhou Shipyard International. It is the first large-scale passenger and vehicle export ship independently developed, designed and built in China. It has completely independent intellectual property rights and its interior materials are 100% domestically produced. It is also the first newly built luxury passenger and vehicle ship in China to obtain a biosafety classification symbol and the first to use silicone antifouling paint. After delivery, it will start operating in Europe from January 2025, with routes covering the Mediterranean region.
“GNV Polaris” was designed and built by GSI. It is the first large-scale RoPax vessel independently developed, designed and built in China. It has completely independent intellectual property rights and its interior materials are 100% domestically produced. It is also the first newly built luxury RoPax vessel in China to obtain a biosafety classification notation and the first to use silicone antifouling paint. After delivery, it will start operating in Europe from January 2025, with routes covering the Mediterranean region.
The RoPax vessel is 218 meters long, 29.6 meters wide, 10 meters deep, with a designed draft of 6.45 meters, about 46,000 gross tons, a deadweight of 8,010 tons and a designed speed of 25 knots. It has 12 decks and 298 cabins of various types. The public area on board for passengers to move freely is 6,000 square meters; there are buffet restaurants, cafes, sightseeing halls, pizza shops, duty-free shops, airline seating areas, children’s play areas, open-air bars and other leisure and entertainment venues.
Eequipped with 7 elevators, RoPax vessel can conveniently and quickly take passengers to various functional areas on board. The total length of the lanes is about 3,100 meters, which can load more than 600 cars or 200 40-foot standard container trailers.
Vibration and noise are key indicators for measuring the riding comfort of a vessel. With its rich experience in building luxury RoPax vessels, GSI has made this vessel meet the vibration and noise comfort requirements of RINA COMF-VIB-B and COMF-NOISE-B. When the vessel is sailing at full speed, the noise in the living area is less than 55 decibels, and in the public area is less than 60 decibels.
In addition, GNV Polaris is also equipped with complete isolation wards and epidemic prevention areas, and the air conditioning and ventilation are also specially designed. It has complete biosafety response measures, which is the first RoPax vessel built in China to obtain the world’s latest biosafety classification notation.
The main engine adopts four nine-cylinder medium-speed diesel engines, each with a power of 10,350 kilowatts and a maximum continuous output power of approximately 41,400 kilowatts. The four main engines can reach a speed of 25 knots at 83.5% MCR power; at the contract service speed and design draft conditions, the range can reach 3,500 nautical miles. It is also equipped with a steam turbine generator set, with a power generation capacity of 900 kilowatts. It can make full use of the waste heat emitted by the main engine for effective energy recycling, ensuring that the vessel achieves a high energy efficiency index.
It is reported that GSI is a Chinese shipbuilder that has delivered the most luxury RoPax vessels in the world. The company has been deeply involved in the RoPax vessel market for more than 20 years, and its RoPax vessels are operating on routes throughout major sea areas around the world. GSI has successively mastered the key core technologies of luxury RoPax vessels and formed a number of core patents for the design of RoPax vessels.
MSC officially entered the Chinese market in 1998. To date, it has established regional headquarters and 33 offices including shipping and cruise ships. Its total investment in China has exceeded 14 billion euros in the past six years, and it plans to continue to increase investment to help China’s shipbuilding and ship repair industries develop with high quality.Since 2015, MSC has built large container ships with a capacity of more than 500,000 TEUs in China, and plans to triple its investment by 2026.