The extended contract will also include the transportation of SSAB’s fossil-free sponge iron and the potential for fossil-free shipments. The sea transport volume covered by the agreement is expected to be between 6 and 7 million tonnes annually.
In a previous announcement, ESL Shipping revealed plans to invest over $200 million in four 17,000 dwt multipurpose vessels that can operate fossil-free using green methanol. This investment is part of ESL Shipping’s broader strategy to support SSAB’s transition to fossil-free steel production.
“We have made significant investment decisions in recent years, the latest being in handy-sized vessels capable of running on hydrogen-based E-fuel, and earlier in electric hybrid coaster-sized vessels. I am pleased to see that these investments have been well received by our customers,” said Rolf Jansson, CEO of Aspo and chairman of the board at ESL Shipping.
