Italian shipowner Giovanni Visentini has just taken delivery of the first of four handymax bulk carrier newbuildings in China while a further four roro ships will be ordered soon. Visentini Giovanni Trasporti Fluviomarittimi is a shipping company based in Milan, controlled by the Visentini family who are mainly active in the agribusiness in Italy and in North Carolina in the US. The company is the owner of a dozen ships made up of bulkers and roros.

The 38,000dwt Korean-designed bulkers being built at China's AVIC Weihai shipyard cost less than US$20m each.

"Each of these units can consume 25 to 30% lower bunker consumptions compared to other bulk carriers of the same class," Visentini said. Each of the new bulkers is equipped with four cranes and four grabs.

"At the present moment we are experiencing a terrible dry bulk market but a big help to us comes from these new ecoships which burn 18 tons of bunkers a day instead of 25," Visentini says.

Since his company took the plunge ordering this novel ship type, a further 20 identical units have been ordered at the same yard by European owners.

The technical and commercial management of the new ships will be carried out by Levantina Bulk, a company based in Genoa, 90% owned by Visentini and headed by Pietro Repetto. The ship is going on a one-year time charter to Hamburg Bulk Carrier.

Next up for Visentini are more roros.

"Three Chinese shipyards are on the short-list for the construction of two – with options for a further two – roro units capable of carrying 150 passengers, with 2,300 lane metres capacity garage and 20 knots speed. The propulsion will be both diesel and LNG. I presume we will sign the newbuilding contract before the end of 2015 with delivery schedule starting from 2017 onwards," the Italian reveals.