BBC Chartering

The family-owned company, BBC Chartering (BBC), was established in 1997 by Roelf Briese and Bruno Bischoff with its office in Bremen, Germany. Two years later, the headquarters was moved to Leer, Germany. In the same year, the shipping company opened its first South American branch in Buenos Aires. Subsequent offices were opened in Argentina and Houston, Texas, and operations expanded into Europe, Asia and America.

In October 2003, the company experienced an incident involving the sinking of a multi-purpose freighter BBC China off the coast of South Africa. The following year, the Singapore office was established when the company launched Asia Project Chartering (APC)- an alliance formed through a joint venture with Clipper Projects.

Expansion continued in 2008 with the establishment of an office in the United States and the introduction of regular connections to the Persian Gulf. In 2010, the company opened an office in Japan and added the BBC Bulk Division to its operations portfolio. It also merged with Teras Cargo Transport to form Teras BBC Chartering LLC.

In 2011, the company significantly increased its fleet through the acquisition of ships previously managed by Beluga Shipping and opened additional offices in Asia and other regions to support the growth.

By the end of 2013, one-third of the BBC Chartering fleet had a lifting capacity of 500 tonnes or more, solidifying the company's position in the heavy-lift sector. In 2015, BBC Chartering launched its apac (any port, any cargo) service to support its global operations. By 2016, the company operated over 180 multipurpose and heavy-lift vessels, becoming the largest fleet of its type worldwide.

The company has also developed its liner services and participates in alliances such as CaytransBBC and TerrasBBC. It currently manages 18 liner services through 26 branches across five continents.

As of 2019, the company operates 30 global offices with main hubs in Leer, Houston, and Singapore.

Fleet

As of 2017, BBC Chartering's fleet consists of approximately 170 chartered vessels, with an average age of 15 years, including multipurpose vessels, heavy-lift ships, container ships, and bulk carriers, ranging in size from 3,500 to 37,000 dot. Depending on the class of ship, the crane capacity of the fleet extends up to a maximum unit weight of 800 tonnes, with the Palabora featuring a capacity up to 900 tonnes.

BBC Chartering does not own its vessels, but charters them, primarily from its parent company, Briese Group, as well as other operators, such as W. Bockstiegel. While the technical and operational aspects - such as management, manning, and inspections - are handled by the vessel owners - BBC Chartering is responsible for the commercial management of the fleet, including matching cargo with suitable vessels under appropriate terms.

The fleet has an average age of 8.5 years (as of 2017), with over 100 vessels built in the 2000s, 60 of them between 2007 and 2009, and a further 70 built in the 2010s, 66 of which were constructed between 2010 and 2012. The fleet is designed for flexibility: most vessels are equipped with cranes, eliminating dependence on port infrastructure, and many are rated with high ice classes, enabling operations in icy waters such as the Baltic Sea during winter.

Since 2010, BBC Chartering has added long-term charters of multipurpose heavy-lift carriers, including vessels from the BBC Everest class (700-tonne lifting capacity) and the BBC Amber class (800-tonne lifting capacity).