The Chinese shipyard Shanhaiguan in Hebei Province has launched another ship built for Polska Żegluga Morska Company (Polish Steamship Company) – Polsteam. This is the Polsteam Lebsko (Łebsko), a 37,000-tonne vessel classified as a laker-max class ship, adapted for navigation on the Great Lakes of the United States.

It is the habit of Polsteam's to give laker-type bulk carriers the names of Polish lakes. This time, the choice fell on lake Łebsko, located near Łeba, in the Słowiński National Park.

This is the third in a series of twelve bulk carriers built by the Shanhaiguan shipyard for Polska Żegluga Morska. Vessels are to be delivered to the shipowner every quarter. This year, the PŻM fleet accepted into its ranks two new ships: Polsteam Dąbie and Polsteam Koprowo.

Laker carriers are a niche variety of handysize bulk carriers (approx. 40,000-dwt). Their dimensions – length 199.99 m and width 23.70 m – are adapted to the most complex set of locks located on the American Great Lakes, built on the Welland Canal. Through eight locks, located at a total difference in levels of approx. 100 meters, ships are transported between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The Welland Canal was built in the 1930s right next to the famous Niagara Falls, which is a natural connection between both lakes.

Polska Żegluga Morska is the global vice-leader in the operation of ocean-going ships that can sail on the American Great Lakes. Only the Canadian shipowner Federal Navigation (Fednav) has more ships of this type.