The Port of Hull recently welcomed two new eco-friendly vessels built for charterer Ahlmark Lines AB as they made their maiden voyages to the Associated British Ports (ABP) owned port.

The M/V Mangen and M/V Unden were both built by Royal Bodewes in the Netherlands earlier this year. The sister vessels are general cargo 5050 Eco Trader ice class 1A mini bulkers, both with a gross tonnage of 2,999 tons.

Andrew Dawes, Director of the Humber ports said: “It’s heartening to see a company who were one of the first to move Swedish timber through Hull, and have been here for over 40 years, invest significantly in greener ships.

“As we move to enable the UK’s clean energy transition, we fully support our neighbours in getting ready for tomorrow by acting today in their investments to help decarbonise the maritime sector with new technology.”

Danny Carmichael, MD Ahlmark Lines (UK) Ltd said: “This is a very exciting time for the Ahlmark Group in taking delivery of these fine vessels. It demonstrates the commitment being made to our customers by ensuring our tonnage is reliably up to the task, environmentally sound and performing efficiently to meet their requirements.”

Both vessels have a CleanShip notation, meaning the vessels have been designed to control and limit emissions. The vessels burn less fuel compared to older vessels and generate fewer CO2 emissions. They have a new efficient bow form which allows for smoother sailings and LED lighting is used throughout as a further energy saving measure.

Ahlmark Shipping (UK) Ltd operate a terminal in King George Dock at the Port of Hull handling approximately 300,000 tonnes of goods every year. They offer stevedoring, warehousing, customs clearance and ships agency services. The two new vessels were designed to supplement Ahlmark Lines’ liner services between ports along the east coast of Sweden and the UK.

The company, one of the first shipping lines to move Swedish timber through Hull, sees the company ship 25% of Swedish timber to the UK, making the east coast port one of the largest for sawn timber imports.