When Performance Matters
onboard an 80K Bulk Carrier
Dec04, 2025
The Challenge
An 80K bulk carrier operating in warm-water regions experienced cooling loss on its central cooler.
The unit no longer had sufficient thermal margin, and as seawater temperatures increased, the fresh-water outlet temperature rose beyond safe limits.
The Turning Point
Maritech OceanServ performed a full thermal review and confirmed that the cooling margin was inadequate for the vessel’s current thermal load, which had increased over time (e.g., upgraded generator capacity and higher onboard demand).
• Capacity Upgrade Engineered – To meet the new load, a capacity upgrade was engineered by adding plates while maintaining acceptable pressure drop.
• Full Refurbishment & Commissioning – The cooler was fully refurbished, re-assembled, pressure-tested, and commissioned onboard.
The Result
✅ Cooling efficiency was restored, and the system regained a safe thermal margin even in warm-water conditions.
✅ Performance remained stable.
✅ Service intervals were extended.
✅ The vessel regained operational confidence.
Lessons Learned
Cooling performance issues cannot be resolved by maintenance alone.
When the vessel’s thermal load increases, the cooler’s capacity must be re-engineered to match real operating conditions.
Proper thermal evaluation and targeted upgrades ensure long-term reliability, especially in warm-water environments.
