12 Bulk Carriers From China

This year Polska Żegluga Morska (Polish Steamship Company) received 3 new bulk carriers in the series of 12 contracted from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) in China. They are the so-called lake-max ships, i.e. 200 m long and 23.7 m wide adjusted to the system of channels and sluices of the Great Lakes in USA. Their capacity is 37,000 tons. Since 1980s PŻM has been the world leader of ocean ships operating on the Great Lakes. The first carrier “Polsteam Dąbie” was delivered in mid-January 2024 and after a journey around the world reached the Great Lakes in the beginning of April. The second one “Polsteam Koprowo” started its first cruise on 26 April to load steel in Chinese and Korean ports, cross the Pacific and the Panama Canal and reach the Great Lakes. The third one “Polsteam Łebsko” was launched in the end of April. Next ships for PŻM will be delivered every quarter. The first eight will be powered by classical low-sulphur fuel and the subsequent four by “green” methanol. Now PŻM operates 55 ships, including 51 bulk carriers and 4 ferries. It employs 2100 officers and sailors and 200 land staff. On permanent routes to the Great Lakes its carriers transport high-quality steel from the Netherlands for US automotive industry (ca. 300K tons per year) and return to Europe or North Africa with American and Canadian grain.