Taiwanese dry bulk shipping operator U-Ming Marine Transport is expanding its fleet with a new series of ultramax newbuilds at Chinese builder New Dayang, according to Maritime Safety News.
The subsidiary of the Far Eastern Group has signed up for four additional vessels of the Crown 63 Plus design, the shipbuilding arm of state-run machinery manufacturer Sumec Group revealed at the naming ceremony of one of the four ultramaxes U-Ming booked for construction in 2022.
While the first two batches of 64,000 dwt units came at $34m each, no price or delivery dates have been divulged for the new vessels, which will be LNG fuel-ready like the previously contracted newbuilds. New Dayang, which Sumec took over in 2018, has secured multiple Crown 63 Plus orders this year.
To date, nearly 120 vessels in this series have been delivered with around 80 additional vessels currently on order.
U-Ming owns and operates more than 70 ships, including those under construction, and joint ventures. Most of the fleet comprises bulkers, but the company also operates in the VLCC, cement carrier and crew transfer vessel segments.