China Development Bank Financial Leasing (CDB Leasing) has snapped up 11 secondhand bulkers for $140.45m — with Clipper Group of Denmark emerging as the sellers.
The deal was revealed in a regulatory filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange but only identified the sellers as “companies incorporated in the Marshall Islands, which is principally engaged in the business of international bulk cargo transportation”.
TradeWinds has learned that there are 11 sellers, special purpose vehicles (SPVs) set up by the Clipper Group of Denmark to own the bulkers. The vessels consist of two supramaxes, two ultramaxes and seven handysize bulkers.
They were: the 30,400-dwt Clipper Triumph, 30,500-dwt Clipper Talent and 28,300-dwt Clipper Lis (all built 2009); the 30,400-dwt Clipper Tarpon, 32,700-dwt Clipper Apollonia, 32,700-dwt Clipper Aegina, 32,500-dwt Clipper Alexandria, 58,500-dwt Clipper Brunello (all built 2010); the 58,400-dwt Clipper Barolo (built 2011); and the 63,300-dwt Clipper Kythira and the 63,300-dwt Clipper Kalavryta (both built 2015).
CDB Leasing said the acquisition was in line with the company’s business development strategy of increasing its presence in shipowning.
It is not known if Clipper will be chartering back the bulk carriers from the Chinese leasing company.
Officials at CDB Leasing were not available for comment. Clipper Group was not immediately available for comment.
The last time that CDB Leasing acquired secondhand tonnage was end last year, when it bought 14 product tankers from Maersk Tankers for a total of $422m.
Product tankers
Under the terms of deal, Maersk Tankers will bareboat charter back nine vessels. All the 14 vessels will also continue to be under the commercial and technical management of the Danish company.
CDB Leasing said the Maersk Tankers’ transaction would increase its market share in the product tanker market and is consistent with its business development strategy.
CDB Leasing has also expanded its fleet through newbuildings. Last month, the company disclosed that it spent $221.6m to order eight bulker newbuildings of 80,000 dwt at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry in China.
The leasing firm described the order as being consistent with the company’s development strategy to increase its market share in the dry bulk sector.
CDB Leasing also has two ultra-large containership newbuildings on order at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. It ordered the 24,000-teu newbuildings against long-term charters from Mediterranean Shipping Co.
According to Clarkson’s Shipping Intelligence Network, CDB Leasing has 76 vessels in the water and 33 newbuildings on order at domestic shipyards.
