Egypt has signed a contract with China to build two new ships, including the latest clean dry bulk ship, in order to increase the number of ships in the Egyptian fleet to 16. The goal is to reach a fleet of 31 ships by the year 2030. Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, the Minister of Transport, oversaw the signing of the contract between the National Shipping Company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport, and the Chinese shipyard, Hantung.
The contract was signed by Mohamed Suleiman, the Managing Director of the National Shipping Company, and Ming Xingjun, the Chairman of Hantong. One of the ships will have a total tonnage of 82 thousand tons, a length of 229 meters, a width of 32.26 meters, and a draft of 14.5 meters. These ships will be built in compliance with the latest environmental standards and are scheduled to be delivered by the year 2026.
Hantong is known as one of the world’s largest shipyards specializing in building clean dry bulk ships. The company has built 148 ships and currently has 49 ships under construction, with a total tonnage of 12.6 million tons. The signing of this contract represents a significant milestone in Egypt’s efforts to strengthen its commercial fleet.
Minister Al-Wazir highlighted the importance of this agreement, emphasizing the significant progress made in revitalizing the commercial fleet sector in recent years. The addition of these two new ships will bring the total number of ships in the fleet to 16, with a transportation capacity exceeding one million tons annually. This growth will help ensure the transportation of strategic goods into Egypt, particularly key commodities like wheat. The Minister noted that more than 40% of the fleet’s capacity will have been renewed in just three years, marking a major leap forward in fortifying the fleet.