NYK orders two giant iron ore carriers

NYK orders two giant iron ore carriers NYK Line said Monday it has reached an agreement with Namura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for two 250,000-ton ore carriers, referred to as WOZMAX ore carriers.
   According to the Japanese carrier, the two ships will be the first of their size. The vessels are to be completed by 2010 and 2011, and will be used for ore transport from Western Australia.
   'Due to design limitations on the load draft of ships transporting ore from Western Australia, conventional carriers were generally only built to have a maximum 230,000-ton loading capacity,' NYK said in a statement. 'However, through cooperative efforts from the initial planning stage, NYK was able to develop a larger carrier. This will allow the company to stay competitive by better responding to the recent increasing demand for ore transport.'