Singapore’s Keppel Shipyard has completed conversion of the former car/container ship Merlion Ace into the livestock carrier Ghena for Merlion Ace Compania Naviera SA, an affiliate of Jordan’s Hijazi & Ghosheh Company.
The 190m by 32.2m vessel, powered by a single Sulzer 7RTA58 diesel engine of 12,901bhp, was built in 1984 by Japan’s Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co Ltd as Aurora Ace before being sold to Singapore Shipping Corporation Limited for operation by its subsidiary, SSC Carriers Pte Ltd as Merlion Ace. In 2009 the vessel was acquired by Hijazi & Ghosheh for US$4 million with the stipulation that she be converted for livestock use and not returned to the car-carrying trades.
The Keppel yard had previously converted the 1989-built ship Maysora for Hijazi & Ghosheh and is currently modifying the 7,285dwt container ship Reestborg for the company.
