The heavy cargo roll on/roll off' coaster vessel recently delivered and commissioned by Concordia Group is not the typical RO/RO.
Once a containership, the 141-meter-long and 20-meter-wide Rotra Vente was converted into a specifically designed ship to be used under charter by Siemens mainly in the North Sea area for the transportation of mast, nacelles (engine rooms) and rotor blades for wind turbines.
The vessel’s specially developed bow and the extendable ramp are controlled by hydraulic systems for cargo to be more efficiently driven cargo to and from the cargo deck. For Siemens, this provides this way of loading and unloading leads to a more cost effective operation. A detachable roof protects the cargo from sea water and weather conditions.
The Concordia Group has designed and realized the ship in 10 months’ time. The base was an existing hull of a container ship, which was transformed into a special service heavy cargo vessel with ramp. By choosing a conversion of an existing vessel, Concordia is applying a diversification strategy to get overcapacity out of the container market.