Oldendorff Bulk Carrier Sets Coal Record

The 207,562dwt bulk carrier Lydia Oldendorff has set a record as the largest vessel to load coal at Puerto Bolivar, Colombia. 

The Newcastlemax vessel has a length of 300 meters and a breadth of 50 meters and was loaded on a trial cargo draft of 17.5 meters. The cargo loaded is destined for Flushing, in the Netherlands, where she will again be the largest vessel to enter the port.

The Lydia Oldendorff was assisted by four tugs, each fitted with two Voith Schneider propulsion units that allow for a bollard pull of 60 tonnes. The berthing went smoothly, and the vessel was able to load her full cargo in just 40 hours.

Operated by Cerrejon Coal, Puerto Bolivar is one of Latin America's primary coal export facilities exporting over 30 million tonnes per year. Puerto Bolivar, which is well known as a capesize coal loading port, will be able to provide coal to customers more competitively, with larger Newcastlemax cargo sizes. 

Oldendorff Carriers currently operates a fleet of about 65 eco-Newcastlemax (203-211,000dwt) vessels which feature fuel saving devices such as a Becker Mewis duct, a rudder bulb, auxiliary engine economizers as well as streamlined hull forms.

The Cerrejon Coal Company is equally owned by subsidiaries of BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Glencore. The Cerrejon mining complex is an open-pit coal mining operation, and the thermal coal is a mainly unwashed, crushed product derived from a blend of seams in an area spanning 69,000 hectares. The standard coal product is 11,000 Btu/lb, GAR. CMC Dublin is the exclusive marketer of the thermal steam coal from the Cerrejón mining complex in northern Colombia.