Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has placed orders for four Panamax bulk carriers with China-based STX Shipyard, which was selected through a global tendering process.
The vessels would be built at the shipyard’s facility at Dalian in China and would be delivered by 2012, SCI said in a release here today.
These vessels would be of higher capacity of 80,655 DWT, compared with the conventional Panamax vessels of 75,000 DWT. This will enable SCI to carry more cargo per voyage.
SCI operated a fleet of 20 bulk carriers, of which some vessels would be due for scrapping soon. The new vessels would enable SCI to partly replace some of the vintage handymax bulk carrier tonnage and enhance SCI exposure in the larger segment of Panamax trade.
SCI has embarked upon a fleet acquisition plan and with signing of this contract, has 32 vessels of 1.44 million GT on order.