Safmarine takes delivery of first new multipurpose cargo vessel

Safmarine is due to take delivery of the first of four multipurpose cargo vessels of 18 000-tonne and 1 047-TEU capacity originally ordered in 2008 from the Wuhu Xinlian Shipyard in China, reports Shipping Gazette. The Safmarine Sahara is fitted with three 80-tonne cranes, which can be combined to handle 160-tonne lifts. The shipping line already employs two similar-sized ships that were built at the Jiangsu Sugang Shipyard. They were purchased from Swiss owner Enzian Shipping. All of Safmarine's multipurpose ships are deployed on the carrier's West Africa breakbulk and oil industry trade services that transport mainly cocoa, coffee, timber, steel, project modules, oil and gas-related cargo, reports Alphaliner. The ship is heading from China to West Africa on the Maersk-Safmarine China-West Africa multipurpose service.