Western Highway is the newly build car carrier of the ship-owner Bulkstar Enterprise. The vessel has a capacity to carry 3,893 units. The car carrier has 10 decks, and while building the most important problem that was solved, was about security and high production of roll on and roll off of cars. The ship can be loaded from 2 points, ramps situated on the starboard middle and on the stern. The ramps can load not more than 10 cars per minute, but even this rate is too big for the loading of such vessel. The vessel can carry heavy vehicles on board only on the two decks. All the decks can be lift, which is very important for car carriers for quick loading and discharging.
  The ship Western Highway was built in Shin Kurushima Dockyard Ltd and Onushi Shipyard in May, 2007. The vessel has deadweight of 12,980 metric tons and a gross tonnage of 39,422 metric tons. The measurements of the vessel are generous. The length of Western Highway is 188.03 meters and beam is 28.20 meters. The draft of the car carrier is 8.524 meters from the whole draught of 27.97 meters. This means that the large freeboard of the ship is 19.446 meters. This is the main measure of one car carrier. Western Highway not only needs a large capacity of space, but also needs a high speed. This speed can be received from large and high productive engine. The main engine of Western Highway is 8UEC 560LSII diesel. This engine is giving to the vessel a power of 8,925 kW and auxillary diesel generators add 1,500 kW more to the power of Western Highway.
  The problem with rolling on and off was solved with making the direct ramp from the boarding deck to the uppermost deck. This is making the loading of vehicles practically from 3 points, in spite of 2 loading ramps. The vessel has a lot of other innovations, which are making the seamen life easier and better. The support system for lifting cargo decks is easy and can be operated only by one man. This offers a free people for working of loading or discharging. The engine has some developments with are decreasing a fuel consumption and enhaust gas emissions. In fact the ship got a record for lowest fuel consumption engine in the world. Western Highway is the ship that is taking most awards and certificated for her engine and ecology. The innovations in cargo ramps decreased staying into the ports to a minimum time. This is because of large stern ramp and other ramps that are installed on board. Also easy operations with deck moving system give less time for moving the decks up and down. The stern ramp has measurements that will make you wonder how so large ramp can be situated to a vessel. The length of the ramp is 30 meters and the width is 17 meters. This allows to the vessel to increase the speed of loading or discharging vehicles.
  A lot of time designers and constructors paid about safety system. The high detection fire system was installed in the engine room and in the cargo holds. This system is new for car carriers and comes from chemical tankers. It is very sensitive and the results that it is giving are accurate. The fire extinguishing system does not use CO2, which helps for reduction of greenhouse gases.
  The remote control that is used into the engine room can transfer the ruling over the main engine and auxillary generators to the bridge or to the remote engine room. Also the multi-functional ITV is giving information about all engines and their condition all the time. This helps to be detected every problem, even if the sensors are showing that everything is alright. With all these innovations this ship is sailing almost by itself. And this is not only big, but very useful car carrier of Bulkstar Enterprise.
date: 30th April, 2008