Early Shutdown of Algoma Steel Blast Furnace and Coke Oven

[ordinaryseafarer]

Rand did not renew the Algoma contract in 2025, good timing on their part.

[Denny]

As on another thread and topic regarding your question of what boats and fleets will be effected by this? Rand along with fleets they charter out to such as Algoma and CSL. I would say that we will probably see many ships and laid up and remain at the wall laid up and NOT sailing next season and next year. Don’t forget too, there’s more bad news than just the Algoma story. In 2026 if I’m correct, in Superior, Wisconsin the Coal Loading Dock there MERC/SMET will shutdown and cease their operations with no further coal being loaded from there onto ships as DTE Plants will begin to shutdown, go offline and switch to alternative sources and methods. Then earlier this Summer, the Ford Rouge Steel Plant stopped receiving ore loads by freighters as Ford said in March 2025 it would layoff 600 or more workers at the Rouge Complex and suspend its Steel making operations there. Definitely all NOT good news and the future don’t look too bright at least IMO anyway for ships and the industry. The 2026 season could be a bad, rough & tough year and I’m sure it will have big impacts and we’ll see I’m sure many ships in layup and not sailing next season. Just my thoughts and comments only and nothing else.

[Guest]

Yikes - what boats will this impact and which fleets?