Simplicity and safety concerns mark bulker carrier evolution

It is a simple concept: a floating box that carries large quantities of a commodity from its producer to its user. Yet the bulk carrier’s evolution into today’s reliable workhorse has not been straightforward.

Japan's Oshima Shipbuilding's Oshima Ultramax 2030 concept design is expected to have an EEDI figure just half that of comparable current designs. (Credit: DNV GL)

It is a simple concept: a floating box that carries large quantities of a commodity from its producer to its user. Yet the bulk carrier’s evolution into today’s reliable workhorse has not been straightforward.