Ceylon Shipping Corporation awaits MV Ceylon Breeze

The ceremonial acceptance of the newly-built bulk carrier of Sri Lanka’s national sea carrier, the Ceylon Shipping Corporation, named MV Ceylon Breeze, is expected to add a new page in its business activities relating to shipping. 

This vessel, which is the first out of two newly-built ships from China, will berth at the Port of Colombo in the early hours of 15 March. 

CSC, which is well known as a leading national carrier for several decades in the Asian region, previously owned a fleet of eight conventional vessels, eight container vessels and one tanker during the 1970s and 1980s when it pioneered the containerisation trade at regional level. 

In 1990, the then Sri Lankan Government liberalised its shipping policies in an open market economy, which grabbed the attention of leading international shipping lines, thus making the Port of Colombo; the hub port in South Asia.

The introduction of mega carriers resulted in the increasing attraction to in-bound and out-bound cargo generated in the region while forcing a sizeable reduction of the national carrier’s fleet to competitively match the needs of the international trade, thus limiting to a required number of ships to be owned. 

Developments in the break bulk sector in this millennium have overwhelmingly influenced CSC in looking beyond horizons to serve the national needs in ensuring the nation’s energy security by way of indulging into new vistas in shipping by acquiring these two new vessels, each of which has a cargo carrying capacity of 63,000 DWT. 

MV Ceylon Breeze which is the first out of the two was completed in a Chinese shipyard before its maiden voyage to its motherland, Sri Lanka, with a laden quantity of coal required for the Norochcholai Thermal Power Plant. This vessel is expected to call at the Port of Puttalam on 15 March for the unloading of the shipment of 55,000 MT of coal. 

Likewise, CSC transports approximately 2.2 million metric tons of coal annually as required to generate 900 MW electricity at Lakvijaya Thermal Power Station in Norochcholai while CSC is greatly involved in both shipping and lightering of coal since 2012 in enabling the Ceylon Electricity Board to provide uninterrupted power supply to the island.

In view of this special purpose, this ship has been designed to cater to this need as well as to provide training berths on one whole deck for national trainee cadets and can accommodate up to 28 cadets at any given time. In the present period, 12 Sri Lankan cadets who passed out from the University of Moratuwa and TTI Katunayake will join the ship and receive their appointment letters at this ceremonial occasion.

Ceylon Shipping Corporation, being especially concerned about recruiting qualified, well-trained and experienced crew to its new bulk ship, has enrolled 16 crew members including the Master and the Chief Engineer who hail from previous CSC-owned vessel. Therefore, those who have rejoined this vessel can be considered a ‘return to their alma mater’.

While securing commercial advantage in a very competitive business environment, CSC is especially focused on its objectives to thrive for quality and motivated well-trained skilled maritime labour that would generate a huge influx of foreign exchange to the country, being a true National Carrier which promotes responsible shipping. In doing so, it maintains a high degree of international shipping standards on par with the regulations and rules of the International Maritime Organization and that of its Class, DNV GL. 

With all this expertise, CSC is ready to receive and handle the new bulk vessels to the national fleet, and operate them more economically and with safety, thus ensuring sustainability of the maritime industry on a long-term mission. All arrangements have been made to accept the MV Ceylon Breeze ceremonially at the Port of Colombo in the presence of high dignitaries of the State. 

MV Ceylon Breeze is scheduled to call at the Port of Colombo on 15 March on her way to Puttalam where the vessel is planned to be berthed for several hours during the morning.