Anglo American receives last LNG dual-fuelled vessel

The last of Anglo American’s 10-strong chartered fleet of Capesize+ Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dual-fuelled bulk carriers, the Ubuntu Liberty, has been delivered.

Its maiden voyage from China to Saldanha Bay, South Africa to collect a cargo of iron ore will mark the on-time delivery of all 10 ships built over the last three years with a zero incident safety record together with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co.

The Ubuntu fleet is a key component of Anglo American’s ambition to achieve carbon-neutrality for its controlled ocean freight by 2040, aligning with its Sustainable Mining Plan commitment for carbon neutral operations across its mines by the same year. The LNG dual-fuelled vessels offer an estimated 35% reduction in emissions compared to ships fuelled by conventional marine oil fuel, and contain new technology to minimise the release of unburnt methane, or so-called ‘methane slip’.

Since the first vessel was loaded in early 2023, the Ubuntu fleet has shipped 6.4 million tonnes of iron ore and steelmaking coal globally. Additionally, the Ubuntu fleet has conducted over 30 refuelling stops for LNG in strategic locations such as Singapore and Malaysia.

In 2022, the shipping industry was responsible for nearly 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Forecasts indicate that gas demand will peak in the mid-to-late 2030s, and LNG demand about a decade later.