Germany: BBC Chartering Furthers Fleet Upgrade

Leading German multipurpose & heavy lift operator BBC Chartering reports it took delivery of three new building vessels in January 2012. As part of the extensive fleet renewal and modernization program the company announced previously, the ‘BBC Amethyst’, the ‘BBC Belem’, and the ‘BBC Mont Blanc’ now started their services for BBC Chartering.

The 14,360dwt ‘BBC Amethyst’ is the second delivery of a series of 14 planned new buildings. Like the previously delivered ‘BBC Amber’ she offers a combined lifting capacity of 800mt (2x400mt). This vessel type currently marks the top of the company’s heavy lift fleet portfolio. The ‘BBC Belem’ is the third of a series of eight new vessels in the multipurpose segment with 8,000dwt and a lifting capacity of 2x80mt.

Together with ‘BBC Everest’, ‘BBC Fuji’, ‘BBC Kibo’, the ‘BBC Mont Blanc’ is the fourth member of a vessel program BBC Chartering’s Svend Andersen refers to as ‘flexible workhorses’. The company reported earlier it plans to operate eight vessels of this type with 9,300dwt that offer a combined lifting capacity of 700mt. Being delivered from the shipyard in Xingang (China), the ‘BBC Mont Blanc’ just commenced her maiden voyage from Ulsan (South Korea) to Kakinda (India) on a full charter basis.

Svend Andersen, Managing Director of BBC Chartering said: “I am pleased to see when our new vessels have a promising start. I am convinced charterers continue to appreciate the flexibility we can offer with these types of vessels and with our unique fleet concept. This enables us to respond to the most challenging maritime logistic requests.”

Last year the company also introduced the BBC ‘project division’. This service unit offers dedicated tender management and transport engineering capabilities. With that the company supports project cargo shipments in the vessel segment exceeding 500mt lifting capacity and seeks to focus on client’s requests in the offshore, oil and gas industry.

[mappress]

World Maritime News Staff, February 10, 2012; Image: BBC Chartering