New ship delivered to Algoma

TORONTO: Algoma Central Corporation has announced the arrival in Canada of its new maximum seaway size, coastal class self-unloader, the M.V. Algoma Mariner. The vessel was constructed at Chengxi Shipyard in China and was delivered to Algoma on May 31.  The vessel sailed across the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and arrived at its first Canadian port of call, Port Cartier, Quebec, on August 2.

The addition to the Algoma fleet follows the delivery of another new seaway-max coastal class self-unloader, the M.V. Algobay, which arrived in Canada in April, Algoma said. Both vessels have six cargo holds and a maximum deadweight of about 38,000 tonnes. Both are classed by Lloyds Register for Great Lakes, St Lawrence and coastal (North and South America) service and built under Canadian Flag and to full SOLAS standards.

The stern hull form of the Algoma Mariner is a new design for the vessel by DeltaMarin, designers of Algoma’s new Equinox Class dry-bulk cargo vessels, the company said. This new vessel is powered by a single slow speed engine.

Algoma has announced an investment of approximately $300 million to construct six new state-of-the-art equinox class vessels consisting of four full-size self-unloading vessels and two full-size gearless bulkers. The first new equinox class vessel is expected to be available for service in 2013, with additional ships following later that year and in 2014. These investments in Algoma’s dry-bulk fleet follow the nearly $190 million spent by Algoma since 2002 to renew its fleet of Canadian flag double-hull product tankers, including the addition of the new product tankers, M.T. Algonova (2008) and M.T. AlgoCanada (2009).