BBC Chartering recorded two LakerMax vessel milestones at the Port of Duluth-Superior as three ships in the class delivered project cargo to the port within several weeks.
BBC Genoa called at Duluth-Superior on 3 June, becoming the first LakerMax vessel to complete a full transit of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway System. Duluth-Superior is the system’s westernmost port and North America’s farthest-inland seaport.
The vessel carried energy-sector project cargo from South Korea and China to the Duluth Cargo Connect multimodal logistics hub. The heaviest item weighed roughly 70 short tons, or 63.5 t, and measured 121 feet, or 37 m, in length.
The cargo will continue by road to western Canada using heavy-haul routes serving the port.
BBC Kolding, the newest LakerMax vessel, arrived at Duluth Cargo Connect on 12 July at the end of its maiden voyage. The ship, named after the Danish port city where BBC Chartering maintains an office, transported project cargo from China.
Between the two calls, BBC Singapore also arrived in Duluth with project cargo from Vietnam.
LakerMax vessels are equipped with two cranes offering a combined tandem lifting capacity of 500 t. Their triple-deck configuration increases cargo capacity and loading flexibility for operations within the Seaway System.
According to BBC Chartering, the vessels have 30% lower emissions per tonne than the company’s previous Seaway-capable ships. The company has 12 LakerMax vessels in service and three more on order.
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority said breakbulk and project cargo volumes at Duluth-Superior increased 9% year over year through June during the opening months of the 2026 navigation season. More than half of the port’s cargo categories also recorded year-over-year gains during the period.
