In recent news, Egypt has signed a contract with China to build two new ships, including one of the latest clean dry bulk ships, in order to increase the number of ships in the Egyptian fleet to 16. The target is to reach 31 ships by the year 2030. This development signifies a significant advancement in restoring the fleet’s strength and enhancing transportation of strategic goods to Egypt.
The Minister of Transport, Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, oversaw the signing of the contract between the National Shipping Company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport, and the Chinese shipyard “Hantung.” The specifications for one ship include a tonnage of 82 thousand tons, length of 229 meters, width of 32.26 meters, and draft of 14.5 meters. These two ships will be built in compliance with the latest environmental requirements and are scheduled for delivery in 2026.
“Hantung” is a renowned shipyard specializing in clean dry bulk ships with a track record of building 148 ships, including 49 currently under construction totaling 12.6 million tons. The Minister highlighted that this development is crucial for Egyptian maritime transport as it brings them closer to reaching their goal of having a strong fleet capable of transporting essential goods efficiently.
With the addition of these two new ships, Egypt’s fleet capacity will exceed one million tons annually. Over 40%