Finland-based dry bulk shipping company ESL Shipping has revealed plans to order two large LNG-fuelled bulk carriers from Chinese shipbuilder Sinotrans & CSC Qingshan Shipyard.

The two 25,600dwt bulkers are set to start operating in the Baltic Sea in early 2018. The total value of the investment is approximately EUR60m, ESL Shipping said. The ships will be designed by Finnish designer Deltamarin and will feature B.Delta26LNG design.

The LNG-fuelled B.Delta26LNG bulk carrier is equipped with both dual-fuel main and auxiliary machinery. The ship has a type C LNG tank of about 400m3 capacity.

"These new, ice-class 1A ships will be the first LNG-fueled large bulk carriers in the world, representing the latest in technology and innovation. CO2 emissions per ton of cargo transported will be reduced by more than 50% in comparison to present vessels," said the company.

The ships will be used to implement the newly inked agreement between ESL Shipping Ltd and the steel company SSAB covering SSAB's inbound raw material sea transports within the Baltic Sea and from the North Sea. The aggregated sea transport volume covered by the agreement is estimated to be 6–7 million tons annually.