Fourth LNG dual-fuel bulker delivered to Himalaya Shipping

Bermuda-based bulk carrier company Himalaya Shipping has taken delivery of the fourth LNG dual-fuel 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax newbuilding from New Times Shipbuilding (NTS) in China.

The delivery of the vessel Mount Blanc was announced on 31 May, some three months after its launch.

The vessel will commence a minimum 24-month charter with an evergreen structure thereafter and will earn an index-linked rate, reflecting a significant premium to a standard Capesize vessel. The time charter also includes a profit sharing of any economic benefit derived from operating the vessel’s scrubber or running on LNG, as well as certain rights to convert the time charter to a fixed rate based on the prevailing forward freight agreement (FFA) curve from time to time, the shipowner said.

Herman Billung, contracted CEO of Himalaya Shipping, pointed out that Mount Blanc was delivered slightly ahead of schedule and added that the first three vessels already delivered have successfully traded their first cargoes, loading Australia, Chile and soon Brazil.

“With 1/3 of the vessels delivered and the listing at the NYSE, the company has developed from a business idea into a fully operational dry bulk company with the youngest fleet on the water today”, Billung said.

To remind, Himalaya Shipping has a total of twelve LNG dual-fuel 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax ships on order at Chinese NTS. The first two vessels, Mount Norefjell and Mount Ita, were delivered in March this year while the third vessel, Mount Etna, joined Himalaya’s fleet on 13 April.

The fifth unit, Mount Matterhorn, was launched at the end of April and is undergoing fitting and finishing touches until its delivery in July.

All remaining vessels are expected to be delivered by the end of the third quarter of 2024.

As informed earlier, the ships in this series will be fitted with scrubbers allowing them to run on high-sulfur fuel oil as well as LNG and low-sulfur fuel oil with a design that will also allow for future conversion to next-generation fuels.

They will be fitted with ABB’s shaft generators with a power-take-off (PTO) solution, comprising new drive systems and permanent magnet technology, and will run on MAN ME-GI high-pressure LNG dual-fuel engine, which in combination with in-line shaft generator the concept offers low methane slip.