Norway's Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC) has postponed delivery of its second and third Cleanbu ships to allow for efficiency modifications.
The company had also put back the handover of the first, the 82,000-dwt Baru (built 2019), as it sought to optimise deployment.
CEO Engebret Dahm told TradeWinds: "We are following a conservative phase-in plan for the Cleanbus to ensure a successful introduction...to the targeted wet-dry combination trades.
"KCC agreed with the shipyard adjusted delivery dates for Cleanbu #2 and Cleanbu #3 to make it possible to get the best possible experience transfer from the first vessel to the subsequent vessels and to ensure that some modifications agreed with the shipyard are implemented on these two vessels (and the subsequent vessels) before delivery."
He added that the changes partly relate to measures to improve further the efficiency of the cargo operation and the switching between dry and wet cargo, and are also partly linked to the propulsion system.
The second vessel was due in the first half of June and the third at the end of September.
The other five follow from February 2020 to February 2021 as planned.
KCC enjoyed a big rate boost from the first fixture of its new Cleanbu ship for both oil products and dry bulk.
The vessel started its first clean/dry combination voyage at the end of May, with earnings reflecting a 150-200% premium relative to standard markets, it said.
The trip to South America targeted a return cargo of grains to the Far East in July.
But start-up costs for the project hit net earnings in the first quarter, lowering profit to $0.8m from $3.45m in 2018.
Expenses of $0.6m related to extra officers on the Cleanbu ship during take over, stand-by wages from postponed delivery of the first three Cleanbus and training costs for the crew.
