2024-07-08 03:28:46
The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) reported that the first ASCO dry cargo ship of the Handysize type, named Khojaly, passed through American waters for the first time under the Azerbaijani flag, Day.Az reported on Saturday.
The ship, carrying 30,800 tons of cement, traveled from the South Korean port of Bakpyeong to the American port of Portland in 20 days, covering a distance of 8,390 km.
“This event took place for the first time in the history of Azerbaijan’s shipping. The dry cargo ship “Khojaly” became the first vessel of independent Azerbaijan to enter a US port under the flag of Azerbaijan, delivering international cargo there,” the ASCO statement emphasized.
It should be noted that the Khojaly vessel was acquired within the framework of the Strategic Program for the Development of Shipping in Azerbaijan with the aim of expanding the geography of national shipping activities outside the Caspian Sea and increasing the potential for cargo transportation in international basins.
Let us recall that on February 1, 2024, an agreement was signed between ASCO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the acquisition of two Handysize dry cargo ships (70% of the financing for the purchase of the ships, or USD 42 million, was provided by an EBRD loan without state guarantees, and 30% (or USD 18 million) was provided by ASCO’s internal resources).
The Khojaly vessel has a deadweight of 38,593 tons. This is approximately 8 times greater than the deadweight of existing ASCO dry cargo vessels. The ship is 180 meters long, 30 meters wide, 15 meters high, and has a draft of 10.47 meters. With its maximum deadweight, the vessel can enter many ports around the world.
The Handysize dry cargo vessels accepted onto ASCO’s balance sheet support Azerbaijan’s aspiration to strengthen the country’s position as a key link in the Middle Corridor connecting Central Asia and the South Caucasus with world markets.
The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC (the largest fleet in the Caspian Sea) currently has 55 vessels of various purposes on its balance sheet.
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