German shipping company the Briese Group has taken delivery of a new multi-purpose cargo vessel built by Taizhou Sanfu Heavy Industry of China.
As with earlier sister ships BBC Leer, BBC Genoa and BBC Houston, BBC Dubai will be operated under a long-term time charter with BBC Chartering for worldwide trading. The vessel belongs to a series of 15 triple-deck ships built to transport heavy lift and project cargo.
The two cargo holds are box-shaped and offer room for almost 26,000 cubic metres of cargo on a floor space of close to 5,000 square metres, when two tween decks are in operation.
The bridge and the crew accommodation spaces are located at the front of the ship, while two cranes with a combined lifting capacity of 500 tonnes are located portside. This allows for an unobstructed 2,830 square metres of space on the weather deck.
The Bureau Veritas-classed vessels are certified to operate with open hatches. Whilst intended for worldwide trading, the design of the BBC vessels has been optimised to still fit both the St Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.
The ship has been designed as a triple-decker. However, the deck pontoons can be locked over a range of heights, allowing a greater assortment of cargo that can be carried. Hatch covers and tweendecks allow for loads up to four tonnes per square metre, while the tanktop can handle up to 20 tonnes per square metre, in parts up to 25 tonnes per square metre.