During the Chinese New Year Festival on February 22, Afai Southern Shipyard signed the contract online with Yick Fung Shipping and Enterprises Company Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Bulk Co., Ltd., for design and construction of a fast transport boat for the African market. The contract signing marks a good start to AFAI in 2021.

       Both COSCO Shipping Bulk Co., Ltd. and COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (one of shareholders of AFAI) are the subsidiaries of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited. The transport boat will be designed and built by AFAI, with a LOA 27.8m, molded beam 5.86m, molded depth 2.35m, Gross Tonnage 100 and a design speed more than 21.5 knots. With the flag of Libya, the steel-aluminum transport boat will be the first boat in the African market built by AFAI.

       It is reported that this project will support the strategic cooperation between China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited and Aluminum Corporation of China to go into Africa. It’s also a powerful testimony of AFAI’s integration in the overseas industries of China COSCO Shipping Group and a new journey towards Africa.