ArcelorMittal bulker returns to service following conversion into self-unloader

A bulk carrier owned by Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal has completed undergoing conversion into a self-unloading vessel for transshipment operations.

GCL Mahanadi was owned by Global Chartering of Mauritius until its purchase by ArcelorMittal in 2024. The conversion was undertaken at Chengxi Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Following the conversion, the ship was renamed TSV One.

The works saw the 105,000DWT bulk carrier with seven holds rebuilt into a 100,000DWT self-unloading vessel. In its new role, the ship will load coal and iron ore from ports in Liberia and then transfer the cargo to waiting bulk carriers offshore.

The vessel now boasts a maximum unloading rate of 7,000 tons per hour, which can reduce unloading time to just 15 hours from the earlier standard rate of 72 hours. Two sets of retractable unloading arms are installed on the main deck, and these help reduce the number of required movements for the vessel to unload cargo onto waiting ships.

As the whole unloading operation will be done in a closed environment, there is a lower risk of dust escaping into the atmosphere, thus making the vessel ideal for use in ports with strict environmental regulations.