US-based shipping firm Bermuda Container Line (BCL) has signed a contract to have a new, custom, container vessel built to service Bermuda.
The new ship is scheduled to be delivered in the first quarter of 2019, at which time BCL’s current container vessel, the 1990-built Oleander, will be retired.
BCL said that the new containership will be the most technologically-advanced vessel serving Bermuda.
The new ship will be outfitted to carry dry and refrigerated containers, trucks, cars and other wheeled equipment, along with over-sized project cargo. It will also be equipped with fuel-efficient main and auxiliary engines as well as leading-edge loading and cargo carrying capability.
Additionally, the new ship will incorporate the capability to convert to liquid natural gas (LNG) operation.
“In order to continue to meet the demands of today’s market and to maintain the fast, efficient service for which BCL is known, we needed to execute a plan to bring online an updated, upgraded vessel,” John Wight, Chairman of the Board of BCL, said.