Algoma A News

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened its 66th season of operation today with an official ceremony in Niagara Region.Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) was joined by U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Development Corporation Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht in welcoming the many who came out for the event, including M.P. Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Canadian Minister of Transport.“We are thrilled to have a renewed Management Operations and Maintenance Agreement with the Government of Canada.

The first vessel in a series of 10 newbuilds has been delivered to FureBear, a 50/50 joint venture between Sweden's Furetank and Canada's Algoma Central Corporation.Fure Vanguard is a dual-fuel ice class 1A 17,999 DWT product tanker built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China.The FureBear JV was formed in 2022 with an initial order for four ships. Later that year, the partners placed an order for four additional vessels, and in 2023 they ordered two more ships.

Algoma Central Corporation announced it has acquired two 2009 built, 16,600 dwt product tankers from Norway’s Knutsen OAS Shipping.“We identified an opportunity to secure high-quality ice-class product tankers suitable for trading in Canada and in Northern Europe. These additions will strengthen our capacity to deliver reliable service to our valued customers,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma.The vessels are believed to be the Liv Knutsen an Eli Knitsen, built by China's Jiangan Shipyard Corp.The vessels will initially be on bareboat charters back to the sellers.

Furetank and Algoma Central Corporation announced further expansion of their FureBear joint venture with orders for two additional vessels. The two ships will be constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China, with delivery expected in second and third quarters of 2026.The new order for Vinga series vessels grows the FureBear joint venture to a total of 10 intermediate product tankers under construction, with the first vessel slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2024.

Algoma Central Corporation announced it has placed an order with Hyundai Mipo Shipyard in South Korea to build two 37,000 DWT ice class product tanker vessels for a total investment of CA$127 million (about US$96.2 million).These new ships will be entered on long-term time charters to Irving Oil under Canadian flag, servicing the energy company’s refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, with deliveries to ports in Atlantic Canada and the U.S. East Coast.Delivery of the new vessels is expected during the first quarter of 2025.

FureBear, a joint venture between Swedish shipping company Furetank and Canadian shipping company Algoma, together with U.K.-based Larsson Shipping, has taken over the ownership of Algoma’s product tanker Algonorth.The 2008-built, 6,958 dwt double hull product oil tanker has arrived from Canada to trade in Northern Europe under the new name Fure Skagen.Owned by FureBear and Larsson Shipping and flying the Faroe Island flag, Fure Skagen will be commercially managed by Furetank Chartering in the Gothia Tanker Alliance.Furetank and Algoma formed the FureBear joint venture in 2022…

The CSL Group and Algoma Central Corporation Order a New Generation of Kamsarmax-Based Ocean Belt Self-Unloading ShipsThe CSL Group and Algoma Central Corporation, who together form the CSL International Pool, on Friday announced a newbuild order with Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., to construct four new methanol-ready Kamsarmax-based ocean belt self-unloading vessels. These new ships will replace the pool’s oldest vessels and become the model for its next generation of ocean self-unloaders.Two of the four jointly designed…

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation on Thursday announced it has acquired two 18,894 dwt product tankers. Built in 2007, the sister ships were purchased to prepare for the coming replacement of two older vessels in the company’s Algoma Product Tankers fleet.“The vessels are high quality additions to our Product Tanker fleet,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma, “and mark an important step in our on-going fleet renewal journey, which is expanding to include renewal within our tanker fleet.

Denmark-based marine pump maker Svanehøj said Wednesday it had secured an order to deliver electric cargo pumps for seven LNG-/LBG-fueled chemical & product tankers. The client is the joint venture-company FureBear.Swedish Furetank AB and Canadian Algoma Central Corporation have entered into a joint venture agreement to construct eight LNG/LBG-fueled ice class 1A chemical & product tankers (17,999 DTW) to trade in Northern Europe.The joint-venture company, FureBear, is now placing a significant order with the pump specialist Svanehøj…

Swedish Furetank and Canadian Algoma Central Corporation expand the FureBear joint venture to include eight climate-friendly, dual-fuel product tankers to trade in Northern Europe.The 50/50 owned joint venture was announced in August and is now extended with four additional 17,999 DWT tankers, bringing the total investment to eight vessels.Like the initial four vessel order, the additional four ships will be constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China. Two of them have already been ordered by Furetank in September and will be transferred to FureBear…

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation announced it has entered into a joint venture agreement with Furetank AB of Sweden to construct four dual-fuel ice class 1A 17,999 DWT climate friendly product tankers to trade in Northern Europe. The 50/50 joint venture will be named FureBear.The tankers will be constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China, with delivery expected between 2023 and 2025. Upon completion, all four vessels will be entered into the Gothia Tanker Alliance, and will be operated by Furetank out of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Algoma Central Corporation and Nova Marine announced their global short sea shipping joint venture NovaAlgoma has acquired five secondhand bulk carrier vessels, including three cement carriers from KGJ Cement in Northern Europe and two handy-size bulk carriers from Swire Bulk Holdings Pte. Ltd. of Singapore.“We carefully consider each opportunity for growth and these vessel purchases fit perfectly into our long-term plan for sustaining a profitable business alongside our partners at Nova Marine,“ said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma Central Corporation.

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation has implemented Marine Learning Systems’ training platform to support employee development and Algoma’s Environmental Compliance Plan. The training management solution allows for on-demand reporting and anytime, anywhere training for safer operations.Algoma’s new system allows employees to access online training on board their vessels, even when internet connectivity is intermittent. This allows both shoreside and on-vessel employees to receive the same training experience, regardless of their location. In addition, the training solution delivers company-specific, on-the-job training for multiple roles and responsibilities.

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation was fined $500,000 in the U.S. after pleading guilty to dumping wastewater into Lake Ontario.One of the Great Lakes operator's dry bulk carriers, the Algoma Strongfield, was built in China and delivered to Canada on May 30, 2017, by a crew from Redwise Maritime Services, B.V., a vessel transport company based in the Netherlands.During the delivery voyage, while manned by a Redwise crew, the oily water separator and oil content monitor malfunctioned or failed on multiple occasions, which resulted in an accumulation of unprocessed oily bilge water. On May 5, 2017, an Algoma employee…

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation announced Monday that it has taken delivery of its new dry bulk carrier Captain Henry Jackman from the Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui Shipbuilding Company in China.The vessel is expected to begin trading on the Great Lakes in late June following its transit from China to Canada via the Panama Canal. The voyage is scheduled to commence in mid-April.The Captain Henry Jackman is the fifth Equinox Class gearless dry-bulk carrier and the tenth Equinox Class vessel to join the Algoma fleet. It is also the most efficient.

Canadian shipping company Algoma Central Corporation announced it has taken delivery of its second Equinox 650-foot Class self-unloading dry-bulk carrier, Algoma Intrepid.The new vessel, the ninth Equinox Class vessel to join the Algoma fleet, has begun her voyage across the Atlantic to Canada from the 3 Maj Shipyard in Croatia to Canada where she is expected to begin trading on the Great Lakes in November.Algoma Intrepid is the sister ship to the Algoma Innovator, which entered…

While St. Lawrence Seaway cargo volumes decreased during the past two months due to economic shifts related to COVID-19, industry leaders said the binational trade and transportation corridor is ready to play its part in the economic recovery efforts in the coming months. Meanwhile, with an increased focus on commodity diversification through project cargo, international shipments of wind energy components in the Great Lakes region are taking off.Overall St. Lawrence Seaway tonnage from March 15 through May 31 totaled 7.7 million metric tons, down 10% compared to the same time period in 2019.

Canadaian provider of marine transportation services Algoma Central Corporation has reached an agreement with 3Maj Brodogradiliste of Croatia under which Algoma will acquire a new Equinox Class 650’ self-unloading dry-bulk carrier upon completion of the vessel by the Shipyard.The vessel, the second of two such ships that were to be built by 3Maj for the Company, is partially built and moored at the 3Maj shipyard in Rijeka. Work on the vessel was halted in 2017 when the Shipyard entered an extended period of financial difficulties.Algoma took delivery of the Algoma Innovator, a sister ship and the first ship built under a two-vessel contract, near the beginning of the 2018 navigation season.

Last night’s arrival of United States Coast Guard Cutters Alder and Mackinaw signaled that the 2019 commercial shipping season is soon to commence for the Port of Duluth-Superior and the entire region.The Alder and Mackinaw made their way across Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, opening a 100-foot lane in the ice that will be widened soon by Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley in support of breakout efforts that will also include local tugs from the Great Lakes Towing Company and Heritage Marine.

The provider of marine transportation services,  Algoma Shipping Ltd announced that the acquisition of the interest held by Oldendorff Carriers in the CSL International Pool including the three vessels owned by Oldendorff operating in the Pool has been finalised.As a result of the transaction, Algoma’s interest in the Pool has increased to approximately 40%, said the subsidiary of Algoma Central Corporation.The handy-sized Algoma Verity (formerly the Alice Oldendorff) and the panamax sized Algoma Valour and Algoma Victory (formerly the Harmen Oldendorff and the Sophie Oldendorff, respectively) bring Algoma’s ocean going self-unloader…

Algoma Tankers, an operating unit of Algoma Central Corporation,  announced that it has taken delivery of the 16,500 DWT Algoterra, a 2010-built product tanker in Amsterdam, Netherlands and the vessel has begun her delivery voyage to Canada.The provider of marine transportation services said in a press release that the vessel departed Amsterdam on March 30, 2019 and will travel through the English Channel before crossing the Atlantic Ocean destined for Halifax. The Algoterra is expected to begin trading in Canada mid-April.“I am pleased to say that our fleet is fully booked for the season,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO at Algoma. “The Algoterra is the second product tanker acquired by ATL in the last four months after the Algonorth joined the fleet in early December.

The provider of marine transportation services Algoma Central Corporation announced that the recently completed Algoma Conveyor, the third Seawaymax Equinox Class 740’ self-unloading dry-bulk carrier, has begun its delivery voyage from China to Canada.The vessel began its two month journey home, departing the Yangzijiang shipyard on February 16, 2019.After taking fuel in the Philippines the vessel will cross the Pacific Ocean, travelling through the Panama Canal and from there will make its way to Canada. The vessel is expected to arrive in early April.“We are looking forward to the Algoma Conveyor joining our fleet for the 2019 navigation season as market demand and volumes are strong…

Ken Bloch Sørensen has stepped down as president and  CEO of Canadian shipowner Algoma Central Corporation after leading the company for four years. Gregg A. Ruhl, the current Chief Operating Officer, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer and will assume that role immediately.Soerensen is said to want to spend more time with his family in Europe. He joined Algoma in April 2015 and was charged with redefining the strategic focus of the Company to include growth markets beyond North America. He led the development of the global short sea business and spearheaded the creation of the NovaAlgoma partnership. During his tenure…