Following CMB.TECH’s announcement that Mineral Europa has embarked on her maiden voyage, Anglo-Eastern is recognising the multi-year engineering, newbuilding and operational effort that helped bring the pioneering vessel from an early alternative-fuel concept into service. CMB.TECH set the project in motion through its vision, investment and willingness to take the technology and commercial risk associated with a developing fuel pathway. Working within a longstanding relationship with CMB.TECH, Anglo-Eastern brought together the capabilities of Anglo-Eastern Technical Services (AETS), its newbuilding and project management arm, with ship management, crewing, training and operational expertise to help convert that ambition into a ship designed and prepared for safe operation at sea.

The work began in 2018, when CMB.TECH and AETS explored alternative-fuel concepts for bulk carriers and their associated commercial viability across Supramax and Newcastlemax vessel types, starting with hydrogen before progressing to ammonia. By 2020, AETS was developing the design philosophy, safety concept, risk-mitigation methodology, fuel-supply arrangements, general arrangement and preliminary engineering calculations at a time when established rules and standards for ammonia as a marine fuel were still developing.