Gypsum Centennial, the vessel that has arrived from the Ebola stricken country of Sierra Leone, is now dry-docked in the Queen Elizabeth Dock for repairs as Public Health England monitors her crew on a daily basis.

For the past three years the Gypsum Centennial has been involved in a huge transshipment trade in Sierra Leone at the port of Pepel.

The self-discharging bulker has four cargo holds, strengthened for heavy cargoes and loaded through eight hatches. 

Using the flexible boom and precise control of the discharge rate makes the vessel suitable for discharge to almost any receiving facility including enclosed hoppers, barges and trucks. 

The vessel is double hulled and has a bow thruster and a high-lift rudder to give excellent ship handling characteristics.

Once loaded she steams to an anchorage position seven miles off Freetown, where her cargo of iron ore is then transshipped to larger ships for onward transportation to China.

Operators Beltship Management Limited (BML) has had a successful year in Sierra Leone despite the Ebola crisis and one of the worst rainy seasons for five years.

The Tonkolili mine is a large iron mine located in central Sierra Leone in the Northern Province.

Tonkolili represents one of the largest iron ore reserves in Sierra Leone and in the world having estimated reserves of 12.8 billion tonnes of ore. 

BML has reached a new milestone by transshipping 13.5 million tonnes of iron ore by the end of September. 

The company said it is “committed to continuing to work in Sierra Leone to the benefit of all parties, but especially to support our loyal Sierra Leone workers, and assist the Government of the country by continuing to ensure iron ore is exported in these trying times.”