COSCO Shipping Bulk Orders Clean Fuel-Ready Bulk Carriers from DSIC
COSCO Shipping Bulk, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned maritime transport giant COSCO Shipping, has commissioned compatriot Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), a division of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), to construct at least four clean fuel-ready bulk carriers.
According to information released by Greece-based shipbroker Intermodal, COSCO Shipping Bulk has secured options to order ten additional vessels from DSIC. Each bulk carrier will have a deadweight capacity of 210,000 tonnes, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2028.
The company is set to invest $77 million per vessel, placing the value of the initial four-ship order at $308 million. If COSCO Shipping Bulk exercises the full fourteen-ship option, the total contract value will climb to approximately $1.08 billion.
Intermodal reports that the vessels will be equipped with engines capable of being converted to run on ammonia and/or methanol, both emerging alternative marine fuels. These future-proof design features reflect increasing maritime interest in cleaner propulsion technologies.
With these specifications, the ships are expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and minimize other harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM).
As of late 2024, COSCO Shipping Bulk operates a fleet of around 500 vessels, while its parent company, COSCO Shipping, controls more than 1,500 ships. Since December of last year, COSCO Shipping Bulk has placed firm orders for at least nine bulk carriers capable of being retrofitted to run on ammonia and/or methanol.
At the end of December 2024, COSCO Shipping Bulk and Yangzhou COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry ordered three 210,000-ton bulkers, with options for five additional units slated for deployment between 2027 and 2028. In May, the company added two more vessels at CSSC subsidiary Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.
Furthermore, in August, Qingdao Beihai secured a contract to build four additional ammonia- and methanol-ready ships for COSCO Shipping Bulk, with deliveries planned for 2027.
