Algoma Central Corporation announced that it has entered into a contract with Yangzijiang Shipyard in Taicang City, China to build a new Seaway-Max self-unloading vessel for its domestic dry-bulk fleet. The as-yet unnamed vessel will be the first of the new Equinox 2.0 Class, a design that builds on the original Equinox Class standards to achieve better fuel efficiency, improved speed at lower engine power, and enhanced deadweight capacity. The new Equinox 2.0 incorporates a number of design changes, including various weight-saving innovations and a reconfigured stern that incorporates a dual-rudder design to increase cargo hold size, resulting in an increase in the capacity of the vessel by approximately 1,440 metric tonnes. Other design improvements include an efficiency upgrade to the propeller and changes in the shape of cargo holds to improve the handling of certain “sticky” cargoes. The new vessel is scheduled to replace the Algoma Transport. Triggering the option now enables Algoma to lock in a building slot with ideal delivery timing. Construction of the ship will begin in late 2022 and the vessel is expected to join the fleet at the beginning of the 2024 navigation season.