Israel’s newest and largest dry bulk carrier, the 166,000 deadweight ton motorship Hadera, has completed her first voyage’ for the Zim Lines, Israel’s national shipping company. The 900-foot collier discharged her first cargo of coal from South Africa yesterday at the fully automated coal pier of the Hadera power station.
The vessel is scheduled to sail for South Africa today to pick up another cargo. Zim has a 20 year contract to supply coal to the Hadera plant, the country’s first electric power station to be fueled by coal.
The Hadera was built at the Astano shipyards in Spain at a cost of $51 million. A sistership building there is expected to be completed next April.
Both colliers were originally ordered by Yaacov Meridor and his partner, Milla Brenner who had operated Israel’s largest privately owned shipping enterprise. When they went out of the shipping business, they sold the contracts for the new buildings to Zim for $2 million. Meridor now is Minister for Economic Coordination.
The Hadera and her sister are among the largest and most modern ships of their type in the world. The Hadera’s engines are automated as is her coal discharging gear and she carries electronic satellite navigation equipment.
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