MV “Ishwari” has been built at STX Dalian Shipyard, China, and was delivered after MV Kamlesh and MV Arun, which were inducted into the Essar fleet in the last two months. MV Ishwari, which is 253 m long, 43 m wide and has a cargo capacity of 1.05 lakh dwt, is the third vessel in a series of six that the company will induct into its operations as part of its ongoing expansion plans.
With the induction of this vessel, the operating tonnage of Essar Shipping has increased to 1.9 mt, which is slated to reach 2.6 mt upon completion of the company’s current expansion programme, Mr A.R. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, said.
With its specially designed hull to ensure larger carrying capacity with minimal draft requirements, ESL expects these MiniCape vessels to make trade to the Indian coast more economical and cost effective for clients in the power, steel and other core sectors, he added.
ESL, which also owns India’s largest Capesize fleet, has a diversified fleet of 26 vessels comprising Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCCs) tankers, Capesize vessels, Supramaxes, mini bulk carriers, tugs and other lighterage and transshipment assets. A sizeable part of the capacity is deployed on long-term contracts.