On the Day of the Seafarers, June 26, Sofia, the third newbuild owned by Finland-based shipping company Langh Ship, arrived for the first time in Tornio in Finland.
The new energy-efficient and low-emission vessel will be deployed in the Outokumpu liner service.
Built by Wuhu Xinlian Shipbuilding in China, the 7,800 dwt multipurpose dry cargo vessel features a length of 119.9 meters and a width of 16.5 meters. The dual-fuel ship can be powered by heavy fuel oil (HFO) as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship’s tank is both methanol and ammonia ready .
Sofia was christened in May this year.
The celebration included the change of the flag on Sofia to the Finnish flag. All three newbuildings that Langh Ship has purpose-built for this trade — Lovisa , Olivia and Sofia — now fly the Finnish flag.
According to the company, a further reason to celebrate is that, with the addition of these ships, the CO2 emissions in the liner service are reduced by one-third for each carried ton of steel . The vessels transport the steel coils from Outokumpu steel mill in Tornio to Terneuzen in the Netherlands, where Outokumpu has a processing plant.
The energy-efficient hull design and advanced technical solutions of the vessels enable the significant reduction in carbon emissions.
On the Day of the Seafarers, Langh Ship highlighted the special skills that are required by the crew when operating to the northernmost port in the Baltic Sea year-round. The harsh winter conditions and ice navigation make this a challenging route.
“We are proud of the crew on all of our vessels. A tribute to all the seafarers at Langh Ship on this Day of the Seafarer,” Laura Langh-Lagerlöf , managing director of Langh Ship, commented.