Super-Sized Industrial Vessels

Seagoing vessels come in a wide range of sizes with crews to match. The biggest vessels are those that have been built to serve industry, including oil tankers and cargo carriers. In this edition of the Bachmann Group blog, we look at some of the largest industrial vessels that have ever been built.

Knock Nevis

Before its decommissioning back in 2009, the behemoth Knock Nevis was the biggest man-made moving object on the planet. The vessel was a ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) supertanker and measured more than 1,500ft (458m) from bow to stern, which is longer than the Empire State Building is high. Its single propeller, which measured 30ft (9m) in diameter, drove the gigantic vessel through the oceans at an impressive 16 knots.

TI Class Supertankers

The biggest oil-carrying ships in current operation, TI Class supertankers are built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. There are four vessels in this 'family': TI Oceania, TI Europe, TI Asia and TI Africa. Each supertanker measures 1,247ft (30m) in length and weighs over 234,000 gross tonnes. When fully loaded, these mammoth ships can cruise at a speed of over 16 knots.

Q-Max Ships

Q-Max ships are the biggest membrane-type vessels designed for the transportation of LNG (liquefied natural gas). Each of the 14 Q-Max ships has a nine million cubic foot (266,000 cubic metre) carrying capacity and measures 1,132ft (345m) in length.

CSCL (China Shipping Container Lines) Globe

Able to carry up to 19,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers, measuring a whopping 1,312ft (400m) in length and with a GT of 186,000, the Globe is the world's largest container transport vessel. Driving this massive ship requires an engine with 77,200 brake horsepower; though so massive, this engine uses 20% less fuel per TEU than similar vessels thanks to its ability to adjust to changing sea conditions.

The bigger the vessel and crew that accompanies it, the most difficult and intricate are the logistics involved in its effective management. Bachmann Group are ideally placed to offer our comprehensive suite of marine services to such vessels and their owners, ensuring that all of the management aspects run as smoothly as possible.

Find out more about our marine services on the Bachmann Group website and do not hesitate to contact our dedicated customer service team for further information.