Fresh Carriers Co., Ltd, a specialized reefer vessel operator, announced that they have ordered three specialized reefer vessels of approximately 570,000 cubic feet bale (about 13,200 Gross tons).
The vessels will have a capacity for about 4,800 pallets underdeck and about 100 Reefer FEU (about 2.000 pallets) on deck. So 6,800 HC pallets into total
The vessel holds are designed to carry High Cube pallets both underdeck and ondeck. The ships will be self sustained so they do not need to enter container terminals and can access smaller ports in order to be able to receive and deliver cargo quickly from and to the origin / destination of the cargo.
The vessels will be constructed and equipped in Japan by Kitanihon Shipbuilding Co and they are expected to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, and in the first quarter of 2021.
Mr. M. Takeshige, Chairman of Fresh Carriers, said: “The demand for refrigerated fruit and protein cargoes in bulk continues to grow strongly in various trade segments around the globe, and most specifically in the Asian markets. Fresh Carriers believe that specialized refrigerated vessels have a significant place in the global fruit trade in providing direct and dedicated shipping services to the fruit trades ”
The ordering of these three vessels will enable Fresh Carriers to better meet its customers’ requirements, now and into the foreseeable future.
Comments from Fresh Carriers clients:
Mike Knowles, Zespri Shipping Manager said “Fresh Carriers has shown fantastic support for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry and has been a key shipping partner for Zespri over the last 30 years. We are excited to see the increased capacity they will have in the specialised reefer segment as these vessels will play a critical role in securing our supply chain long term to North Asia.
Blair Hamill, Zespri Chief Supply Chain Officer, said ‘’We’d like to congratulate FCC on their investment in expanding their reefer vessel fleet. These ships play a significant role in our global supply chain and allow us to deliver our premium New Zealand-grown kiwifruit to consumers around the world. The increased capacity will enable Zespri to make further progress towards our goal of growing our global sales to $4.5 billion by 2025.”
For further information, please contact:
Oceanic Navigation NZ
Mr Bruce Nisbet
Tel: +64 27 274 5720
E-mail: commercial@oceanic.co.nz