ESL Shipping Marks Naming of Second LNG-Powered Newbuild

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday September 22, 2017

ESL Shipping says its second "highly energy-efficient" liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled dry cargo vessel was named Haaga today during a ceremony at the Jinling shipyard in Nanjing, China.

"Our wonderful shipping company investment is almost at the finish line. These next-generation vessels are helping our shipping company to reduce its carbon footprint and to improve its competitiveness and profitability," said Aki Ojanen, CEO of Aspo plc and chairman of the Board of Directors of ESL Shipping.

As Ship & Bunker has reported, Haaga's sister vessel was christened Viikki at a ceremony in June.

"We are very pleased with the building quality of Viikki and Haaga. Now, we will receive excellent and efficient tools for green sea transportation in the future," said Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping.

Haaga and Viikki are slated to begin operations on the Baltic Sea during the first half of 2018.

The newbuild vessels are part of a project under the Bothnia Bulk project, which is co-funded by the EU, and is intended to make the sea route between Luleå, Oxelösund, and Raahe more eco-friendly.

As Ship & Bunker reported in November, Aspo plc said its subsidiary ESL Shipping , through the EU's Connecting Europe Facility for Transport instrument, was set to receive as much as €5.9 million ($6.25 million) between 2016 and 2019 to support the construction of the company's newbuild LNG-fuelled Handysize dry bulk carriers.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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