China’s Cosco Shipping has put the 80,000-dwt multipurpose grain carrier Guo Liang Hai into service as the sixth vessel in a series developed around large-scale grain transport, according to Cosco Shipping Europe.
The Chinese-flagged ship was named on 30 July at Dalian Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry’s yard in northeast China and entered service on 6 August.
Guo Liang Hai, IMO 1112862, has a gross tonnage of 50,502. It measures 229.95 metres in length, 32.26 metres in breadth and 21 metres in depth. Its box-shaped cargo holds allow the vessel to switch between grain, other dry bulk commodities, containers and large industrial cargoes.
The cargo range includes soybeans, maize and wheat, as well as wind-power equipment, railway rolling stock, new-energy vehicles and heavy machinery.
The operating model combines outbound shipments of containers and equipment with agricultural and other dry bulk cargoes on return voyages, increasing round-trip utilisation.
The vessel is fitted with intelligent navigation, cargo-monitoring and safety-management systems, alongside low-carbon design features. A methanol-ready fuel interface provides for a potential future conversion to methanol propulsion.
Other ships in the series are already deployed between South America and China, carrying agricultural imports to China and manufactured equipment on outbound voyages.
Hainan Cosco Shipping Development Ocean Transport Co is the registered owner, while the vessel is due to be chartered to sister company Cosco Shipping Bulk.
Dalian Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry built the ship, and China Classification Society surveyed and classed it.
Cosco Shipping Development was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Shanghai. Its activities include container manufacturing, container leasing, ship leasing and investment management. The company forms part of state-owned China Cosco Shipping Corporation. Cosco Shipping Europe is the group’s European regional management company.
