All set to ceremonially accept Ceylon Shipping Corp’s new ship MV Ceylon Breeze

The ceremonial acceptance of the newly built bulk carrier of Sri Lanka’s national sea carrier, the Ceylon Shipping Corporation (CSC) named MV Ceylon Breeze is expected to add a new page in its business activities.

This vessel which is the first out of two newly built ships from China will birth at the port of Colombo in the early hours of March 15, 2016 on her way to Port of Puttlam. 

CSC which is well known as a leading national carrier for over several decades in the Asian region previously owned a fleet of 08 conventional vessels, 08 container vessels and 01 tanker during in the 1970’s and 1980’s when it pioneered the containerization trade at regional level. In 1990, the then Sri Lankan government liberalized its shipping policies in an open market economy that aroused the attention ofleading international shipping lines thus making the Port of Colombo the hub port in South Asia. 
The introduction of mega carriers resulted in the increasing attraction to in-bound and out-bound cargo generated in the region while forcing a sizable reduction of the national carrier’s fleet to competitively match the needs of the international trade thus limiting to a required number of ships to be owned.
Developments in break bulk sector in this millennium has overwhelmingly influenced CSC in looking beyond horizons to serve the national needs in ensuring nation’s energy security by way of indulging into new vistas in shipping by acquiring these two new vessels, each of which having a cargo carrying capacity of 63,000 DWT. 

MV Ceylon Breeze which is the first out of the two as stated above was completed in a Chinese shipyard before it took her maiden voyage to its motherland, Sri Lanka with a laden quantity of coal required for the Norochchoalai Thermal Power Plant.
This vessel is expected to call at the Port of Puttlam on March 15 for the unlading of the shipment of 55,000 MT of coal.  

CSC transport an approximately 2.2 million metric tonnes of coal annually as required to generate 900 MW electricity at Lakvijaya thermal power station in Norochcholai while CSC is greatly involved in both shipping and lightering of coal since 2012 in enabling the Ceylon Electricity Board to provide uninterrupted power supply to the island. 

In view of this special purpose, this ship has been designed to cater the need as well as to provide training berths in one whole deck for national trainee cadets that could accommodate up to 28 cadets at any given time. 

Twelve Sri Lankan cadets passed out from the University of Moratuwa and TTI Katunayaka will join the ship, and they would receive their appointment letters at this ceremonial occasion.