LNG

Anglo American, the UK-listed global mining and commodties company, has taken delivery of the last of its 10-strong chartered fleet of Capesize-plus liquefied natural gas dual-fuelled bulk carriers.

The vessel, the “Ubuntu Liberty”, made its maiden voyage from China to Saldanha Bay in South Africa to collect a cargo of high-quality iron ore.

The loading marked the successful on-time delivery of all 10 ships built over the last three years by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding in China.

“Launching the final vessel of our Ubuntu fleet is a very large manifestation of our commitment to more sustainable shipping,” said Matt Walker, Chief Executive of Anglo American’s Marketing business.

Dedicated

“This is testament to our dedication to a sustainable path forward for our controllable ocean freight, ensuring the delivery of essential resources to our customers around the world,” Walker explained.

“It also puts us in a market-leading position as the charterer of the largest LNG dual-fuelled Capesize-plus fleet in the world,” stated Walker.

The word “Ubuntu” carried by the ships comes from the Zulu language in Southern Africa where Anglo American has operations. The word has its roots in humanist African beliefs whereby the idea of “community” is one of the building blocks of society.

Anglo American executive Walker explained that customers had shown a keen interest in accessing the Ubuntu freight fleet, demonstrating growing recognition of the value of sustainable shipping.

“I thank Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding for its collaboration to deliver these vessels on time, on budget and most importantly, with a stellar zero-safety incident record,” Walker said.

“Our gratitude also goes to all the other companies and agencies that partnered with us to make the Ubuntu fleet roll-out a success,” he declared.

The Ubuntu fleet is a key component of Anglo American’s ambition to achieve carbon-neutrality for its controlled ocean freight by 2040, aligning with Anglo American’s Sustainable Mining Plan.

Advantages

LNG dual-fuelled vessels offer an estimated 35 percent reduction in emissions compared with ships fuelled by conventional marine oil fuel and are regarded as the most efficient vessels of their type today.

Anglo American explained that since the first vessel was loaded in early 2023, the Ubuntu fleet has successfully and safely moved 6.4 million tonnes of iron ore and steelmaking coal across global shipping routes.

Additionally, the Ubuntu fleet has conducted over 30 refuelling stops for LNG in strategic locations such as Singapore and Malaysia, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to embracing sustainable fuel alternatives.

Four of the vessels, the “Ubuntu Harmony”, the “Ubuntu Equality”, the “Ubuntu Integrity” and the “Ubuntu Loyalty” are all flagged in Singapore, an LNG bunkering hub.

Two more of the 10 LNG-capable vessels, the “Ubuntu Unity” and the “Ubuntu Community” fly the Greek flag.

The remaining four vessels fly the Red Ensign of the UK. They are the “Ubuntu Empathy”, the “Ubuntu Humanity”, the “Ubuntu Sincerity” and the “Ubuntu Liberty”.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc., the owner of the world renowned New York Stock Exchange and platforms for trading global oil and gas futures such as the US Henry Hub, North Sea Brent crude and the Dutch Title Transfer Facility for LNG and natural gas, has signed an accord for dual listing with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in South Africa.