Chinese built ore carrier arrives in Brazil

The 11th in a series of 380,000 DWT very large ore carriers (VLOCs) built by China Rongsheng Heavy Industries has been delivered to an existing customer, Brazilian mining giant Vale S.A.

The “Vale CaofeidIan” represents the fourth 380,000 DWT class VLOC that China Rongsheng Heavy Industries has delivered this year.

According to the Group, only five more of the original 16 orders secured for the 380,000 DWT class are pending for delivery, with the next VLOC set for Vale in the process of sea trials.

The VLOCs are currently the world’s largest, measuring 360 meters in length, 65 meters in breadth and 30.4 meters in depth. The have also been designed to an environmentally friendly template, with a focus on lowering fuel consumption and reducing CO2 emissions.

The Rongsheng-built VLOCs also recorded an Energy Efficiency Design Index (“EEDI”) at approximately 1.99 during sea trials, which is in line with regulations on emission reduction set by International Maritime Organisation (IMO), effective from the start of this year.

In a statement, China Rongsheng Heavy Industries said that the series of VLOCs is part of a Transformation and Advancement” strategy that the company is implementing in response to tough market conditions.

This strategy is focussed on designing environmentally friendly and efficient vessels as well as developing high-tech shipbuilding products in line with green concepts.

The Group has also established a subsidiary company, Rongsheng Offshore & Marine (RSOM), in order to establish itself in the offshore engineering market. The company says that it is continuing to seek breakthroughs in high-tech and high value-added segments including the offshore engineering and LNG markets.