Reuters Freightviews reported that
one of Brazilian mining giant Vale’s
huge iron ore carriers, the world’s
biggest, was scheduled to arrive
fully-loaded in Asia for the first time
in mid-December, with a stop
in Singapore.
The 388,000-tonne Berge Everest,
which has been leased to Vale, was
expected to arrive in Singapore on
15
th
December though its ultimate
destination was unknown. Vale’s
main market, China, has yet to give
these ships access to domestic ports,
forcing the world’s largest iron ore
producer to send its vessels instead
to Italy, Oman and other destinations.
The vessel’s arrival also comes amid
rising safety concerns after a similar
vessel, Vale Beijing, became
disabled before setting sail on its
maiden voyage.
The Berge Everest, built by China’s
Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry,
is one of six mega-bulk ships to be
delivered to Vale in 2011.
The company plans a fleet of up to
35 mega-bulk vessels to sharply cut
the cost of delivering ore to China.
wiredInUSA - January 2012
11
Mega ships in Asia
