On November 7, 2023, just a year after Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (CODELCO), a Chilean state-owned company and one of the world’s leading copper producers, and NYK Bulk & Project Carriers Ltd. (NBP), an NYK Group company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Singapore (November 24, 2022) to jointly study the decarbonized transportation of copper products, the substantial progress has been made through the signing of an MoU by NBP, Oshima Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (OSHIMA) and Sumitomo Corporation (SUMITOMO) to study, design and construct the world’s first Handymax bulk carrier (ammonia dual fuel type) that will reduce CO2 emissions to zero.
This would be the first of a fleet of 10 to 15 vessels dedicated to the transport of copper products that NBP would operate from Chile to the Far East. CODELCO and NBP desire that the vessel will be developed and built by OSHIMA, which is willing to study this project together with CODELCO and NBP.
CODELCO is the largest copper producer in the world. Its main activity is to explore, develop and exploit mining resources; process them to produce refined copper and by-products, and market them to customers around the world. It operates in seven mining divisions in Chile: Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina and El Teniente, in addition to the Ventanas Refinery. From the Nationalization in 1971 to 2022, it has generated surpluses of US$ 168 billion for the State of Chile. It has assets of US$ 44,7 billion and equity of US$11.7 billion as of December 2022.
NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. was established on October 1st, 2013, as the product of a merger between NYK-Hinode Line Ltd. and NYK Global Bulk Corporation. NYK-Hinode Line Ltd. was one of the pioneers of heavy lift carriers, and NYK Global Bulk Corporation has played a significant role in the industry as one of the world’s largest specialists in handy bulk carriers.
The NYK Group, headquartered in Tokyo, was founded in 1885 and is one of the world’s leading transportation companies. The NYK Group has approximately 500 group companies and about 35,000 employees worldwide and operates around 800 vessels and air cargo and logistics businesses as its core businesses.