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”.

European classification society DNV has classed two LNG-powered bulk carriers owned by Maran Dry Management (MDM), the dry bulk shipping arm of Greece’s Angelicoussis Group, and has seen both vessels through to successful bunkering operations.

DNV said the Greek company took delivery of the two Newcastlemax bulk carriers from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Ship Building Co. in China.

The “Ubuntu Unity” was delivered on February 28 and the “Ubuntu Community” on April 18.

“The 190,000-deadweight ton vessels, registered with the Greek flag, are the first dual-fuelled bulk carriers in the Greek market and will sail using LNG,” said the Norway-based class society.

DNV has been at the forefront of the growing LNG fuel market in classing vessels and assisting developers.

“The two Newcastlemax LNG-powered vessels are 299.80 metres long, 47.5 metres wide and 24.70 metres deep, with a design draft of 18.25 metres and a design draft speed of 14 knots,” said DNV.

LNG tanks

They can use both LNG and conventional fuel and are equipped with two Type-C LNG fuel tanks.

DNV explained that the capacity of the LNG tanks means that the vessels could operate for 20,000 nautical miles powered by gas, allowing the vessels to complete two round-trip routes from China to Australia or one round-trip route from China to Brazil.

Both vessels were described by DNV as having a combination of “very advantageous” dual-fuel and hull optimizations and high energy efficiency.

“We are very pleased to have been involved with the charterer, owner, yard and designers from the outset of this project,” said Morten Løvstad, Vice President and Global Business Director for Bulk Carriers at DNV Maritime.

“These highly efficient and innovative vessels, with dual-fuel engines, and an optimized hull design, show MDM’s commitment to meeting environmental regulations not just today but over the long term,” Morten Løvstad.

Designs

Captain Babis Kouvakas, Managing Director that MDM as part of the Angelicoussis Group was committed to embracing sustainability initiatives to optimize its fleet’s environmental performance.

“We are delighted to have collaborated with DNV and SWS on the design and development of these modern and environmentally friendly ships. Both vessels incorporate the latest technology, aiming to reduce carbon emissions,” Kouvakas added.

Ioannis Chiotopoulos, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for South East Europe, the Middle East and Africa at DNV Maritime, said the two vessels marked the high level of cooperation between the Angelicoussis Group and DNV.

“These new vessels clearly show the Group`s commitment to driving sustainability in the bulk segment, and are great examples of how the maritime community is taking up the challenge of reducing our environmental footprint through innovation,” Chiotopoulos explained.

“We thank MDM for their trust and welcome ‘Ubuntu Unity’ and ‘Ubuntu Community’ to DNV class. May they enjoy smooth sailing for many years to come,” Chiotopoulos added.

Both Ubuntu vessels are on charter to global mining company Anglo American.