Egyptian ferry operator Alkahera Company for Ferries & Maritime Transport has entered the container shipping segment with orders for two general cargo ships at Dae Sun Shipbuilding & Engineering in South Korea.
Each of the 18,000 dwt ships has a capacity for 700 TEUs of dry containers and 98 TEUs of reefers; delivery is expected in early 2025.
Dae Sun, which announced the order on 30 April, stated that the contract comes with options for four more vessels.
Alkahera currently operates two ferries, Cairo and Alriyadh, which are assigned to the Egypt-Saudi Arabia route.
Egyptian Minister of Transport Kamal Wazir said at the signing ceremony, "This type of ship can transport general cargo, bulk cargo, heavy cargo, vehicles, and fresh food such as fruits exported from Egypt.”
Dae Sun said that its operations have been steady since it emerged from debt restructuring in December 2020, after a majority stake was acquired by compatriot steel producer Dongil Steel, which now owns about 45% of the shipbuilder.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
