Loaded With Coal For India

You can’t see very much of Ordu, a 751 foot by 106 foot bulk carrier sailing under the flag of Malta, as it heads out of Mobile Bay DEC 13th 2025 on a voyage that will last well into next year. That’s because so much of the ship is underwater, after being heavily loaded with coal. Ordu’s draught (distance from waterline to the bottom of the hull) is more than 47 feet as it sets course for Mormugao, on the western coast of India, with arrival expected JAN 24th 2026. Ordo’s voyage would not have been possible until late last year, because Mobile’s ship channel previously had a depth of 45 feet. As part of a $366 million project involving the state and federal government, the channel was dredged an additional five feet, making the new fifty foot depth the deepest container port in the Gulf. Economic experts say the deeper channel will open the way for more ship traffic carrying heavier cargo which will mean more business for the port of Mobile.

Ordu’s destination is a familiar one for traffic from the port. Asia has become a dominant market for American coal. India consistently ranks as one of the top importers of coal from the U.S., with Alabama being a major supplier. With a massive need for power generation, India imports large amounts of both steam coal (for creating power) and metallurgical/coking coal (used to make steel).

Photo shot from Fairhope, about 6.5 miles away…