NEWS 283 : LONG-DISTANCE PARTNERSHIP
The contract for this 178,000ft3 reefer was signed in April 2020, at a time when the global outbreak of COVID-19 was progressing. How to hold technical negotiation meeting with the owners? How to officially exchange the signed papers? After we received the letter of intent through the intermediary of Itochu Corporation, we were faced with many challenges, given the global restrictions on movement. In the end, we were able to get through by doing everything remotely, which is now a common practice, but was revolutionary at the time!
When the contract was signed (remotely), we told the shipowner that we would join together at Shimonoseki to celebrate the delivery of the ship. However, as the COVID-19 disaster was prolonging, in spite of the owner's effort to find a way to come to Japan from China, we were forced to decide the delivery ceremony to be done remotely, again.
This ship became a hot topic because she was the first reefer ship ordered by a Chinese shipping company to Japan, equipped with onboard fish processing facilities and ultra-fast freezing capability down to -50C.
She is also our first reefer equipped with a SCR to comply with Tier III NOx regulations, allowing her to operate in areas where NOx emissions are regulated. In addition, the new vessel has a space to install a scrubber EGCS in the funnel space, in order to comply with SOx regulations to be enforced in future.
For OCEAN STAR, a charter contract has already been signed with a major fish farming company, and the refrigerated cargo carrier is supposed to play an active role immediately.
Although this new ship is a breakthrough for us in terms of overcoming the various restrictions under COVID-19 outbreak, we feel sad and like there is something missing as we are not able to meet our customers in person and to share the sense of accomplishment with them.
When the situations allow us to move freely between Japan and China, we would like to visit the shipowner to celebrate the birth of this ship together and deepen our mutual relationship.
[2022/01/14]
