The combination carrier is the third and final contracted vessel in the CABU III series and takes the shipowner’s tally of CABU vessels to 11 and its total fleet of combination carriers to 19.   The vessel is designed to ship caustic soda solution to Australia from Asia, mainly China, for the production of aluminum and to switch seamlessly to the carriage of a range of bulk ores including aluminum, bauxite, iron ore and grain on the return voyage. The Baltazar has a carbon footprint 35% lower than first-generation CABU vessels and a 20% higher earnings potential, the company said.   Like its two sister vessels, Balder and Bastion, Baltazar has an air lubrication system, a shaft generator, an EcoEGR fuel-optimised engine and a Mewis Duct from Germany’s Becker Marine Systems. Unlike its two sisters, however, the latest vessel in the series is the first to harness the power of the wind, with two bound4blue eSAIL suction sails. The ship is also ready for retrofitting to use zero or near-zero fuels in the future.

As hybrids, combination carriers are more expensive than either bulk carriers or tankers. But their ability to ship both dry and liquid bulk cargoes means that they achieve high load factors. They also have a greater earnings potential because they spend only a small amount of time in ballast.   KCC, the largest combination carrier owner in the world, also has eight CLEANBU vessels, designed to ship clean petroleum products and dry bulk cargoes.