The ships cost €70 million. They will reduce the cost of exporting agricultural products by 10%.
"The completion of two new refrigerated ships, the Carmel Bio-Top and Carmel Ecofresh, which will enter service in February 2004, opens a new era for Agrexco Agricultural Export Co. in all matters relating to the shipping of agricultural produce," said Agrexco CEO Shlomo Tirosh.
Tirosh said the ships would replace the older ships, Carmel Exotic and Carmel Topaz, which have been in service for 30 years. The new ships were designed by German shipbuilder MPC and built by the Viana shipyard in Portugal at a cost of €35 million each.
Shipowner Orizont and a German bank financed the ships. Agrexco is leasing the ships from Orizont in a 12-year lease in the first stage. Each ship can carry 4,100 platforms in 18 refrigerators on six decks, compared with the 3,300-platform capacity of the two older ships.
Tirosh added that in addition to agricultural produce, the two ships can carry 800 containers each, compared with the 80 container-capacity of the two older ships. Each ship can carry 550 cars on the return trip, compared with the 220 vehicles by the older ships.
Tirosh said the new ships would cut shipping costs for agricultural produce by 10%, saving €7 million a year.
"The completion of two new refrigerated ships, the Carmel Bio-Top and Carmel Ecofresh, which will enter service in February 2004, opens a new era for Agrexco Agricultural Export Co. in all matters relating to the shipping of agricultural produce," said Agrexco CEO Shlomo Tirosh.
Tirosh said the ships would replace the older ships, Carmel Exotic and Carmel Topaz, which have been in service for 30 years. The new ships were designed by German shipbuilder MPC and built by the Viana shipyard in Portugal at a cost of €35 million each.
Shipowner Orizont and a German bank financed the ships. Agrexco is leasing the ships from Orizont in a 12-year lease in the first stage. Each ship can carry 4,100 platforms in 18 refrigerators on six decks, compared with the 3,300-platform capacity of the two older ships.
Tirosh added that in addition to agricultural produce, the two ships can carry 800 containers each, compared with the 80 container-capacity of the two older ships. Each ship can carry 550 cars on the return trip, compared with the 220 vehicles by the older ships.
Tirosh said the new ships would cut shipping costs for agricultural produce by 10%, saving €7 million a year.