Oldendorff Carriers Post-Panamax to Load Logs from New Zealand

A deal between South Pacific Shipping (SPS) and Oldendorff Carriers has been finalized. A Mount Maunganui New Zealand local, Bruce McFarlane, working for Braemar ACM brokered the deal. Braemar also negotiated the deal with ISO Stevedoring that delivered the mobile cranes from the manufacturer in Germany to the port of Tauranga, New Zealand last year.

Bruce McFarlane commented, “We saw an opportunity to bring together two major players from the logs trade and dry bulk shipping to create new economies of scale through the utilization of the new mobile shore cranes and larger vessels at Tauranga.”

Oldendorff Carriers has been part of the New Zealand logs trade for decades. The opportunity to partake in the first Post-Panamax to load logs from New Zealand suited Oldendorff’s flexibility and diversity. With over 700 vessels in their operating fleet that range from 11,000 mt deadweight through to 210,000 mt deadweight, Oldendorff has been able to draw from its extensive fleet to quickly adjust to SPS’s developing shipping requirements.

Cameron Mackenzie from SPS commented, “We’re excited to be a part of this Post Panamax fixture with Oldendorff Carriers. Not only will this be the biggest vessel to load logs from New Zealand, loading a gearless ship is also a first for the New Zealand log export industry. Our objective is to make the supply chain as efficient as possible while maximizing port throughput, as well as minimizing the environmental footprint from the transportation of logs. Plus, as market leaders, we wanted to be the first to participate in something that has not been achieved before.”

Mackenzie went onto say, “A Post-Panamax will carry underdeck twice the volume of a conventional logger but will not require any fumigation by Methyl Bromide as no logs will be carried on deck. This deal is also good for the environment.”

The first vessel to load is scheduled to be the MV Clemens Oldendorff 92,759 mt deadweight, which is due to load from Tauranga at the end of October, or early November 2021.