Isle of Man Ship Registry starts the year with record tonnage
The Isle of Man’s Ship Register has exceeded the 15 million Gross Registered Tonnage mark for the first time in its history following the registration of one of the largest ships in the world.
The 15 million GRT mark is another milestone for the Ship Registry, which continues to grow its tonnage as it receives more interest from operators in the Far East and a growing Asian client base.
The vessel registered was the ‘Berge Neblina’, a very large ore carrier built to carry iron ore from Brazil to China to feed the steel production supplying the country’s ever growing economy.
At 195,000 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) and with a length of 345 metres, the vessel is one of the largest afloat and is capable of carrying 388,000 Tonnes of cargo. The vessel is operated by Berge Bulk, a subsidiary of the BW Group, which operates out of Singapore.
Dick Welsh, Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, said:
‘I’m delighted that the Registry has exceeded the 15 million Tonne mark and started the year so well. The hard work and dedication of the Registry team, coupled with our targeted marketing efforts in the region, have helped create good recognition of our customer service and of the cost advantages of registering large ships in the Isle of Man.
‘We have worked hard to attract clients such as Berge Bulk in Singapore and the way that we work is developing really positive client relationships. This reputation can only stand us in good stead in such an influential shipping centre and help to spread the word about the Isle of Man and its ‘can-do’ attitude to business.’
As with all vessels built and delivered from shipyards in the Far East, the Ship Registry was open to coincide with the timing of the signing ceremony in the region. This meant that Registrar, Muriel Sweetman, was able to register the vessel just after midnight here in the Isle of Man.
Dick Welsh continued:
‘This is a service we offer which very few of our competitors can match. It is really appreciated by our clients and demonstrates the 24/7 nature of the Ship Registry.’
The Department’s Political Member with responsibility for the Ship Registry, Alex Downie OBE MLC, said:
This is a great achievement and further demonstrates the excellent work of the team at the Ship Registry. Examples like this typify their continued commitment to exceeding client expectations and we look forward to another good year in 2013.’