en.Wedoany.com Reported - The new self-unloading vessel "Wontanara," built in China, was delivered on July 21. Dubbed the "King of Self-Unloaders" for setting three records, the ship will be used for ore transshipment operations at Rio Tinto's Simandou iron ore project in West Africa.
Built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the vessel is the first in a series of five sister ships. CSSC stated that these vessels will be the world's largest shallow-water transshipment self-unloaders by deadweight tonnage, the fastest in unloading speed among specialized ships, and the first in their tonnage class capable of bidirectional operation.
The Simandou iron ore project, developed in cooperation with China, is set to become a world-class high-quality ore export base. A Chinese consortium operates two of the four mines, while Rio Tinto controls the other two. The project commenced operations at the end of 2025, with production gradually ramping up this spring. The total deposit is reportedly valued at over $24 billion.
The challenge of the project lies in the shallow waters near the mine. The solution is a fleet of five vessels designed to load ore and transfer it to large ocean-going ore carriers anchored offshore. Each self-unloader has a deadweight tonnage of 41,800 tons, a length of 215 meters (705 feet), a capacity of 29,000 cubic meters of ore, and a draft of only 14.5 meters (47.5 feet), compared to the typical draft of around 18 meters (60 feet) or more for large ore carriers.
The new ship also set a record for unloading rate, capable of transferring 12,000 tons of ore per hour. CSSC stated that this efficiency represents a 71% improvement over the previous record of 7,000 tons per hour, held by another vessel that underwent modifications in 2023. With a deadweight tonnage of 41,800 tons per vessel and this unloading speed, CSSC claims the five ships can fully load a 200,000-ton ocean-going bulk carrier within 24 hours.
To enhance maneuverability, the ship can operate fully in both directions and features a diesel-electric propulsion system. It is also highly automated, requiring only a small crew to operate. Construction of the "Wontanara" began at the Yangzhou shipyard in May 2025 and was completed in just 14 months. The vessel was delivered after 12 days of sea trials from late June to early July. CSSC reported that the second vessel of this type is scheduled for delivery in October, with two already launched in May and June of this year. All five ships are expected to be delivered by mid-2027.
