BBC Chartering took delivery of two F500 multipurpose vessels in the past 12 months and is set to bolster its fleet with newbuild capacity even further in the coming years.
The ship operator said that it would take delivery of four more newbuilds in the second half of 2021 and into 2022, complementing the newbuilds added last year and two F500s that joined the carrier’s roster during 2019.
In cooperation with Briese Schiffahrt, BBC is also in the process of ordering four further multipurpose vessels with a modified F-type design. While details about the specifications of the modified design are being kept under wraps for the time being, BBC’s ceo Ulrich Ulrichs confirmed that these vessels will have the bridge upfront not aft.
Speaking about BBC and Briese’s newbuilding ambitions, Ulrichs said: “There is no adequate second-hand tonnage with reasonable gear (160 tonnes combined or more) left in the market. The multipurpose fleet is ageing and in order to maintain our market position, the Briese Group chose to invest in new vessels.
“Whilst new tonnage comes with a price tag, those vessels will be more efficient and productive than older tonnage. And last but not least, with newbuildings we are also able adjust designs to future market requirements,” he said.
Adding newbuild capacity will also enable BBC to take environmental concerns into consideration. “They will, for example, have better speed/consumption figures than any other vessel in our fleet today,” Ulrichs confirmed.
