AtoB@C Shipping, a Swedish subsidiary of ESL Shipping, part of the Finnish conglomerate Aspo, has continued its fleet renewal push with a long-term charter deal for six newbuildings.
The shortsea operator will be adding low-emission 5,900 dwt ice class 1A bulkers to its fleet between 2025 and 2027 from German shipowner BAAS Shipping, a joint venture between Brise Bereederung and F&L Schifffahrt.
AtoB@C said the vessels, designed by Dutch Groot Design and under construction at China’s Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry, would enable almost a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the 5,000 dwt vessels currently in the fleet.
The first vessel, Baymar (pictured), was delivered last October and will enter AtoB@C’s fleet in the coming weeks. The second newbuild, Soundmar, will be delivered in January, while the remaining four ships are set for delivery from Dajin shipyard within 2026.
AtoB@C Shipping’s own newbuilding program is also approaching its halfway mark as the sixth vessel, Terramar, was launched last December and is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025. The company booked twelve 5,350 dwt plug-in hybrid vessels at Indian shipyard Chowgule & Company, with one vessel scheduled for delivery every quarter until the autumn of 2026.
“We are currently investing in the renewal of our owned fleet, but at the same time we need to secure modern, low-emission capacity for our time charter fleet as well,” said Frida Rowland, commercial director of AtoB@C Shipping and ESL Shipping.
Energy News Beat