zoomImage Courtesy: COSCO

China’s Cosco Shipping Specialized Carriers (CoscoSSC) has become the world’s largest multipurpose operator by deadweight, a new report issued by Dynamar shows.

CoscoSSC’s existing fleet has a total deadweight of 1.76 million tons. In addition, the company has one 38,000 dwt unit on order.

Having reduced its fleet by 13 to 146 ships, Germany’s BBC Chartering has returned to the second place on the list of ten largest multipurpose carriers. BBC Chartering’s current fleet has a total deadweight of 1.68 million tons. Moreover, the company’s newbuilding fleet comprises one vessel of 13,000 dwt.

Dutch Spliethoff is in the third place with a fleet of aggregate 778,000 dwt and six 108,000 dwt vessels under construction.

As of early January 2018, the ten largest multipurpose/project/heavy lift vessel operators by deadweight had a fleet of 460 ships with a total deadweight of 8.14 million tons and an aggregate lifting capability of 147,000 tons. The ships’ average age is eight years.

Dynamar said the breakbulk industry is expected to benefit from the global recovery and see an uptick in volumes.

“The effects of the 2016 and 2017 -not yet ended- consolidation wave, together with a very low orderbook for multipurpose/project/heavy-lift tonnage, and this in combination with the expected economic recovery should see breakbulk operators writing dark grey ink again by the end of 2018,” the report says.

“The improving economy will increase demand and hopefully reduce competition from bulk carriers, container operators or reefer ships. As rate levels are set by the demand-and-competition mix, the effects of this all on breakbulk rates will initially be subdued.”