SWIRE Shipping has purchased the vessel MV Dili Chief (ex-Souni). The purchase was finalised, along with the vessel’s name change on Monday (13 September).

Swire is currently re-naming many of its vessels. It said the move would deepen its connection with communities in the Pacific.

The Singapore-flagged general cargo vessel was built in 2007 and has a cargo capacity of 7602 tonnes DWT. The vessel is currently deployed on Swire Shipping’s North West Australia Direct service, which was introduced earlier this year.

The service connects the Australian ports of Dampier, Darwin and Port Hedland with Singapore and beyond, accepting all types of containerised, breakbulk and project cargo.

In a statement, Swire Shipping said building its network in north-west Australia had been a long-term ambition.

“With this additional investment, we are therefore pleased to be able to further commit to this key market and provide greater support for our customers,” the company said.

Several other shipping lines have brought in similar offerings, including Sea Swift, Toll and others.