AmericasDry Cargo

Canadian Great Lakes operator Algoma orders two newbuild Equinox freighters

Toronto: Canadian operator Algoma Central Marine has ordered two newbuild Equinox 650 class vessels as it expands its fleet of Great Lakes bulk carriers.

The Equinox is a self-unloading dry bulk lake freighter and this order has been placed with a subsidiary of Uljanik of Croatia.

It is expected that the two, which replace existing ships in the fleet, will be devoted to serving salt and aggregates industry shippers.

They will be among the most environmental-friendly ships on the lakes thanks to the installation of exhaust gas scrubbers which remove at least 97% of sulphur-oxide emissions from the exhaust stream.

One is expected to be ready to enter service in early 2017 with the second following later that year. They will be 198.4 m long and is 23.8 m wide. And they should each be able to haul in excess of 24,000 tonnes.

Algoma, which is based in St Catharines, Ontario, is also acquiring a  handysize self-unloading ocean class vessel, the Gypsum Integrity (47,761 dwt, built 2009) from USG Corporation and will rename it the Algoma Integrity. That vessel should be in the St. Lawrence Seaway in about two weeks.

All told, these three additions will cost Algoma $160m.

Donal Scully

With 28 years experience writing and editing for newspapers in the UK and Hong Kong, Donal is now based in California from where he covers the Americas for Splash as well as ensuring the site is loaded through the Western Hemisphere timezone.
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