Qingdao Intercontinental Shipping christens new pulp carriers

China's Qingdao Intercontinental Shipping held a formal naming ceremony for two new 62,000DWT pulp carriers in a series on Wednesday, August 21. Built by Huanghai Shipbuilding, the vessels have been christened COSCO Shipping Jixiang and COSCO Shipping Ruyi.

Upon completion, the two newbuildings will each have an LOA of 201.8 metres, a beam of 32.26 metres, a depth of 19.3 metres, a design draught of 12.5 metres, and a service speed of not less than 13.5 knots.

Each ship will also feature a box-type cargo hold primarily for the transport of wood pulp but may also be used for grain, iron ore, steel coils, containers, and large project cargo such as offshore wind turbine blades.

The vessels' main and auxiliary engines will be fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to ensure compliance with IMO Tier III NOx emissions requirements.

Construction is also underway on four other 62,000DWT pulp carriers for the same owner. The vessels are all classed by China Classification Society.