The largest multipurpose vessel fleet in the world is about to get even bigger, with BBC Chartering, about to get two more F500-type multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels this year.

The BBC Philippines is in the final stages of outfitting, almost ready to leave the Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering shipyard in Taizhou, China. The vessel is set to be delivered to its owners Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG in October.

The BBC Odesa, according to current plans, will follow suit roughly one month later. Both vessels will enter a long-term charter with BBC Chartering shortly after delivery to their owner.

Both vessels are the continuation of the series of F500 vessels with a deadweight capacity of 12,325 mtons. At an overall length of 147.2 m and a breadth of 22.8 m, each vessel in the series is equipped with two Liebherr heavy-lift cranes with a combined lifting capacity of up to 500 mtons.

The first vessel in the series BBC St. Petersburg has been delivered in 2020.

Delivery of the latest F500 vessels will coincide with the delivery of the first of ten Open-Top Eco Generation general cargo vessels being built at the Dayang Offshore shipyard in China for Briese Schiffahrt. The first OTECO 9000 vessel, ECO Titan has already commenced sea trials.

BBC Chartering is currently the largest multipurpose operator with over 140 vessels and a combined dwt of over 1.5 million. According to Toepfer Transport, the company occupies the first spot among the multipurpose operators by dwt with a combined lifting capacity of 100 tons and above with a market share of 10.7 per cent.