The Netherlands based shipping company VROON organised a launching ceremony for the Gloucester Express, which is the fifth in a series of seven innovative livestock carriers the company had ordered at China’s Cosco.
Image: Vroon.nl
The ceremony took place at the Cosco Shipyard in Guangdong (China) on Saturday, July 11.
The vessel is designed to have a cargo capacity of approximately 4,500 sqm (approx 4,000 head of cattle at 350 kg/head) and a cruising range of approx. 18,000 NM, sufficient for a voyage from Brazil to China and back without refuelling.
Image: Cosco Shipyard
The livestock carrier will be fitted with animal welfare services (ventilation / watering / feeding) that exceed Australian (AMSA) regulations which are considered to be the world’s most stringent.
The new-building is expected to be delivered to the company later this year. The other four livestock carriers have already been delivered and are trading successfully.