China’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding has hosted a naming ceremony for the third of four LNG-powered bulk carriers it built for Taiwan’s shipowner U-Ming and charterer Anglo American.
The naming and christening ceremony for the 190,000-dwt dual-fuel dry bulk carrier, Ubuntu Integrity, was held on January 9.
CSSC’s SWS said the online naming ceremony took place both in Taipei and Shanghai.
This if the first ship naming ceremony for SWS in 2023.
The ceremony follows delivery of the first of four LNG-powered bulk carriers in this batch, Ubuntu Harmony, on December 19, and the second, Ubuntu Equality, on January 3.
Back in September 2020, Anglo American signed a ten-year charter with U-Ming Marine Transport for four LNG-powered capesize vessels, introducing LNG into its chartered fleet for the first time.
Besides these ships, SWS is also building the fourth sister vessel, Ubuntu Loyalty.
Anglo American previously said that the fleet’s name, Ubuntu, selected via an internal employee competition, is the Zulu word meaning “humanity to others”.
The DNV-classified bulk carriers are about 299.8 meters long and 47.5 meters wide and feature MAN Energy Solutions’ high-pressure ME-GI engines.
China’s Gloryholder Liquefied Gas Machinery supplied its LNG fuel system for the four bulk carriers, including type C LNG fuel tanks.
According to SWS, the fuel gas endurance reaches 20,000 nautical miles, allowing the vessels to complete two round-trip routes from China to Australia or one round-trip route from China to Brazil.