Knock Nevis is the largest ship in the world. Knock Nevis, the largest ship ever built by mankind. Technical characteristics of the oil super-tanker “Knock Nevis”

Knock Nevis(in the past also called Seawise Giant, Happy Giant and Jahre Viking) - the largest ship ever to exist on Earth

Oil has long become the most sensitive nerve of the entire world industry. Often, it is most profitable to transport “black gold” not by land, but by water. The route taken by ships of this type is called “oil”. Already in the 19th century, when coal was the main raw material, crude oil was transported in wooden and zinc barrels in special holds sailing ships intended for the transportation of oil.

The very first sea tanker for transporting oil in a tank whose walls served as hulls was the sailing ship Atlantic, built in 1863. This type of tanker uses a hull as a reservoir for liquid cargo, which has survived to this day. By the beginning of the First World War, sea tankers already accounted for 3% of the world's merchant fleet.

The demand for oil is growing every year. This process is associated with the continuous development of heavy industry and the emergence of an increasing number of motor vehicles. Accordingly, the scale of oil production is increasing and the requirements for its transportation are becoming more stringent. I doubt that there will be ships and vessels whose size and displacement would have the same rapid development trend as tankers.

The development of shipbuilding of oil tankers takes into account the features and advantages of supertankers, since when transporting oil on sea ​​vessel, which can hold more than 100,000 tons of oil, transport costs are not much higher than using a tanker with a carrying capacity of 16,000 tons. Today, large tankers and supertankers are fully automated and operated by a relatively small crew. Even the longest transportation of valuable cargo is much cheaper than when operating a conventional vessel. And one of these is “Knock Nevis”.

The history of this sea vessel began in Japan in 1976 (some sources indicate 1975) at the shipyards of Sumitomo Heavy Industries. Then the oil tanker Knock Nevis was “born” under the modest serial number 1016 and was not that big. Soon the cargo ship was sold to a certain Greek shipowner, who gave the oil tanker its first real name, Seawise Giant. Its carrying capacity was 480,000 tons (typical modern oil tankers have a capacity of 280,000 tons). Three years later, the cargo ship was sold to a new owner, who ordered an enlargement. Japanese shipbuilders cut and extended the tanker, which took quite a lot of time. Finally, in 1981, the supertanker was ready for service again. Welded additional sections of the hull increased its deadweight to 564,763 tons.

The supertanker Knock Nevis could easily take on board the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower. But its cargo is $195 million worth of oil. The huge ship has survived several owners and now bears the fourth name “Knock Nevis”. They shot him with rockets and cut him in half. And yet - for more than 20 years it remains the largest ship on the planet.

The “braking distance” of the supertanker “Knock Nevis” is 5000 meters.

Specifications oil tanker "Knock Nevis":

Length - 458.4 m;
Width - 68.8 m;
Draft (full) - 24.6 m;
Design displacement - 657,018 tons;
Deadweight - 564763 tons;
Power plant - steam turbines;
Power - 50,000 l. With.;
Speed ​​- 13 knots;
Crew - 40 people.

Its dimensions were: 458.45 meters long and 69 meters wide, which made it in the past the largest ship in the world. Even after the Prelude FLNG supertanker-gas plant is commissioned, it will remain the largest vessel in history with a displacement of 657,018 tons.

By 2010, Knock Nevis was approaching its end of operation. It was sold to Amber Development Corporation for further disposal.

The new owner renamed Knock Nevis Mont and raised the Sierra Leonean flag on it. In December 2009, he made his last crossing to the shores of India.

On January 4, 2010, Mont was thrown ashore near the Indian city of Alang (Gujarat state), where its hull was cut into metal for a year.

One of the giant's 36-ton anchors was preserved and is now on display Maritime Museum in Hong Kong.

Knock Nevis is the largest ship ever to exist on Earth.

Knock Nevis (in the past also called Seawise Giant, Happy Giant and Jahre Viking) is a Norwegian-flagged supertanker. Its dimensions: 458 meters long and 69 meters wide make it the largest ship in the world.

Built between 1979 and 1981, today it is used as a floating oil storage facility. Characteristics Knock Nevis has a deadweight of 564,763 tonnes, equivalent to 658,362 m³ (4.1 million barrels) of oil.

The length of the tanker is 458.45 meters, width - 68.86 meters, cargo draft - 24.61 meters. Maximum speed is 13 knots, the crew of the vessel is 40 people. The braking distance of the ship is 10.2 kilometers, and the circulation diameter is more than 3.7 kilometers.

The draft when fully loaded does not allow the ship to pass not only the Suez and Panama Canals, but also the English Channel.

Story

The supertanker was built in Japan in the city of Yokosuka by Sumitomo Corporation on the order of a Greek shipowner. However, the still unfinished ship was purchased by Hong Kong shipowner Tung Chao Yung.
It was built under number 1016, and the owner gave it the name Seawise Giant. The new owner ordered an enlargement of the vessel. The ship was cut up and extended, with additional hull sections added increasing the deadweight from the original 480 thousand tons to a record 564,763 tons.

The ship initially sailed between the Middle East and the United States, but in 1986 it began to be used as a floating terminal for storing and transshipping Iranian oil during the Iran-Iraq War. In May 1988, the ship was attacked and heavily damaged by Iraqi aircraft. After the end of the war, the ship, towed to Brunei, was purchased by the Norwegian company KS-company.

The ship was refurbished in Singapore and renamed Happy Giant. However, in 1991, even before the completion of the repairs, KS-company came under the control of the Norwegian shipowner Jørgen Jahre, so the tanker left the shipyard under the name Jahre Viking. KS-company was later purchased by Norwegian shipowner Fred Olsen for his company First Olsen Tankers.

Following the passage of laws in the United States and Europe prohibiting the use of single-sided tankers, the so-called monohull tankers (the Knock Nevis's side is only 3.5 centimeters thick), the ship was converted into a "floating storage unit" in the Dubai docks in March 2004.
Then he once again changed his name to the modern Knock Nevis. Now the ship is permanently located in the area of ​​the Al-Shahim oil field in Qatar as an oil storage facility.

Vessel characteristics

Type Tanker.

Flag state of Norway.

Launched 1976.

Current status Floating storage unit.

Displacement 825,614 tons.

Length 458 m.

Width 68.86 m.

Power plant Turbines with a total capacity of 50,000 hp. With.

Speed ​​13 knots.

Crew 40 people.

Cargo capacity 564,763 tons.

Knock Nevis (formerly known as Seawise Giant, Happy Giant and Jahre Viking) is a Norwegian-flagged supertanker. Its dimensions were: 458.45 meters long and 69 meters wide, which made it the largest ship in the world. Built in 1976, rebuilt in 1979, in recent years used as a floating oil storage facility, then delivered to Alang (India), where it was disposed of in 2010.

Knock Nevis had a deadweight of 564,763 tons, which is 658,362 m? (4.1 million barrels) of oil.

The length of the tanker is 458.45 meters, width is 68.86 meters, and the cargo draft is 24.61 meters. The maximum speed was 13 knots, the crew of the vessel was 40 people. The braking distance of the vessel is 10.2 kilometers, and the circulation diameter is more than 3.7 kilometers.

The draft when fully loaded did not allow the ship to pass not only the Suez and Panama Canals, but also the English Channel.

The supertanker was built in Japan in the city of Yokosuka by Sumitomo Corporation under the serial number “1016” and was transferred to the Greek shipowner, who gave the tanker its first real name “Seawise Giant”.

It’s interesting that the tanker wasn’t that big back then. Its carrying capacity was 480 thousand tons (typical modern supertankers hold 280 thousand tons).

The new owner ordered an enlargement of the vessel. The vessel was cut up and extended, and additional hull sections were added, increasing the deadweight from the original 480 thousand tons to a record 564,763 tons. In 1981, the tanker was ready for service. The total displacement of the monster after reconstruction reached 825 thousand 614 tons, which, along with its size, made it the largest ship ever sailed on Earth.

The ship initially sailed between the Middle East and the United States, but in 1986 it began to be used as a floating terminal for storing and transshipping Iranian oil during the Iran-Iraq War. In 1986, an Iraqi fighter jet fired an Exocet anti-ship missile at a ship that was almost in the Persian Gulf (or rather, in the Strait of Hormuz leading into the Gulf). The tanker did not die, but was disabled. Only in 1989 was it revived by Singapore ship repairers, replacing 3.7 thousand tons of crumpled steel.

After the end of the war, the ship, towed to Brunei, was purchased by the Norwegian company KS-company. The ship was refurbished in Singapore and renamed Happy Giant. However, in 1991, even before the completion of the repairs, KS-company came under the control of the Norwegian shipowner Jorgen Jahre, so the tanker left the shipyard under the name Jahre Viking.

KS-company was later purchased by Norwegian shipowner Fred Olsen for his company First Olsen Tankers.

Following the passage of laws in the United States and Europe prohibiting the use of single-sided tankers, the so-called monohull tankers (the Knock Nevis's side is only 3.5 centimeters thick), the vessel was converted into a "floating storage unit" (FPSO) in the Dubai docks in March 2004 ). At the same time, the tanker once again changed its name to the modern Knock Nevis. In 2009, the ship was washed ashore in Alang (India), where it was scrapped in 2010. Before the last voyage, the ship was renamed Mont and changed its flag to Sierra Leone. It took about a year to completely dismantle the ship.

The story of the Titanic did not end man's dream of majesty and grandeur. The huge ships of our time are already breaking our framework of thinking. The most big ship the world calls the 450-meter supertanker “Knock Nevis”. This is exactly what we will talk about.

Information about the largest ship in the world

The largest ship in the world is the supertanker Knock Nevis. Photo: Gérard Né/aukevisser.nl

The largest ship in the world, Knock Nevis. Photo: Gérard Né/aukevisser.nl

The history of the largest ship in the world

Knock Nevis was built by the Japanese company (Built by the Japanese company) Sumitomo Heavy Industries in 1979. But even before the ship went to sea, its owner went bankrupt.

A few years later, the new owner ordered the ship to be enlarged. The already quite impressive carrying capacity of 480,000 tons (for comparison, modern tankers can handle 280,000 tons) has been increased. To do this, the tanker was cut in half and cargo compartments were added. So Knock Nevis was able to transport 565,000 tons of cargo and became unrivaled.

In 1981, the tanker was ready. At first, he transported oil from the Middle East to the shores of the United States.

In 1986, during the Iran-Iraq war, he was on a mission to transship and store Iranian oil. However, the tanker did not escape the evil fate of the war: when the ship was in the waters Persian Gulf, it was fired upon by an Iraqi fighter, and the Knock Nevis received significant damage.

After the war, the tanker was purchased by a Norwegian company. It was towed to the Keppel shipyard in Singapore for repairs.

The largest ship in the world is the supertanker Knock Nevis. Photo: Roland Grard/aukevisser.nl

In 2004 the most big ship in the world was converted into a floating oil train. The reason for this was the law prohibiting the transportation of oil by single-hull tankers.

The supertanker ended its life in 2010 off the coast of the Indian city of Alang, where it was disposed of.

The Knock Nevis goes down in history not only as the largest ship in the world, but also as the largest self-propelled man-made object ever built.

He could easily take on the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower. But its cargo is $195 million worth of oil. He has outlived several owners and is already on his fourth name. They hit him with rockets and cut him in half. And yet, for more than 20 years it remains the largest ship on the planet.

The history of this ship began in Japan in 1976 (some sources for some reason indicate 1975) at the shipyards of Sumitomo Heavy Industries.

Then our hero was born under the modest serial number “1016” and was handed over to a certain Greek shipowner, who gave the tanker its first real name “Seawise Giant”.

It’s interesting that the tanker wasn’t that big back then. Almost. Its carrying capacity was 480 thousand tons (typical modern supertankers hold 280 thousand tons).

She sailed for three years, and very soon the ship was sold to a new owner, who ordered its enlargement. Japanese shipbuilders cut and extended the ship, which took a lot of time.

Finally, in 1981, the tanker was ready for service again. Welded additional sections of the hull increased its deadweight (capacity) to 564 thousand 763 tons of oil, otherwise - to 658 thousand 362 cubic meters.

One of the latest photos of Knock Nevis. For the scale of the oil titanium, pay attention to the sea cargo ship visible on the left in the background (photo from supertankers.topcities.com).

By the way, this oil is separated from the sea by only one steel board 3.5 centimeters thick.

The total displacement of the monster after reconstruction reached 825 thousand 614 tons, which, along with its size, made it the largest ship ever sailed on Earth.

The people on its deck can give you some idea of ​​the scale of the monster (photo from dxman.com).

Dimensions. This must be imagined, because there are no suitable photographs that would allow one to feel the scale of the supertanker.

Its length is 458.45 meters, width is 68.86 meters (for other sea ​​vessels length is shorter), draft under load is 24.61 meters.

Not only the Titanic, but also modern cruise giants that surpass the Titanic in all sizes are simply not impressive compared to this tanker. Turbines with a capacity of 50 thousand horsepower accelerate the tanker at full load to 13 knots (approximately 24 kilometers per hour).

Interestingly, the ship's crew consists of only 40 people.

To deliver a supertanker to the terminal, you need several powerful tugs at once (photo from supertankers.topcities.com).

Obviously, a tanker of this size provides the opportunity to deliver black gold to its destination very economically (per ton of oil).

True, here's the problem - with a full load, this tanker cannot pass through the English Channel, the Suez and Panama Canals, nor can it moor in most major ports of the world.

It would seem that, given its geometric dimensions, it could perform this trick. But safety plays a big role here.

A million-ton tanker at full speed is a terrible force (photo from supertankers.topcities.com).

Think about it: the giant’s braking distance is 10.2 kilometers, and its turning circle exceeds 3.7 kilometers! So, among other ships scurrying around these waters, this supertanker is like a bull in a china shop.

When a tanker needs to be brought to an oil terminal, it is taken in tow and pulled very, very slowly. It is easy to imagine what can happen if there is an error in maneuvering a ship weighing almost a million tons.

During its life, the supergiant tanker changed several owners and changed its name more than once - first to Happy Giant, then to Jahre Viking.

Comparison of the largest ships on the planet (by length and gross register tons (generalized characteristics of geometric dimensions). It is a pity that most of our hero megatanker (he is drawn last) is hidden under water (illustration from the site dxman.com).

This year, the tanker visited dry docks in Dubai, received new equipment and turned into a so-called “Floating Storage and Offloading unit” for oil. At the same time, the ship was renamed Knock Nevis. The ship is owned by Norwegians and operates in Qatari waters.