Shortsea operator adds to bulker order

Wilson ASA has signed a contract for the construction of eight CIP6300 dry bulk carrier newbuildings at Cochin Shipyards in India.

Wilson, a Norwegian company, has a fleet of 140 vessels ranging from 1,500 to 8,500 dwt – believed to be the largest shortsea fleet in Europe – and transports about 15M tonnes of dry cargo across the continent annually.

The fleet works primarily in European waters, from the Barents Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south, through the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, Biscay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Wilson, the vessels will be ‘state-of-the-art’ and the CIP6300 series will be equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion system, a large-diameter propeller and optimised hull lines.

The Conoship International design is optimised for the lowest possible fuel consumption and has the option to install three VentoFoil wind-assisted propulsion units for further fuel reduction. In addition, the design gives the flexibility to change the fuel type in the future.

The order comes in addition to the six CIP3800 vessels announced in June 2023 and brings the total to 14 newbuildings for delivery from H1 2025 until 2028.

The CIP6300 design features a single cargo hold with high cubic capacity making it ideal for carrying a variety of heavy and light cargo.

The main cargoes carried by Wilson vessels are minerals, fertiliser, metals and fuels.