NS United Kaiun wins third Vale contract

Japanese ship owner NS United Kaiun Kaisha (NSU) has placed an order for another 400,000DWT very large ore carrier (VLOC) after winning a third contract since December 2016 with Brazilian mining giant Vale.

NSU announced on November 27 it had entered another 25-year contract of affreightment (COA) to transport Brazilian iron ore.

The contract comprises transportation of an estimation volume of 40 million tonnes by NSU’s newbuilt 400,000DWT eco-type VLOC on the major service route between Brazil and China. The newbuild begins operations in the first half of 2020.

The COA, which begins in the second half of 2019, follows a 25-year contract that concluded in December 2016.