Denmark's Lauritzen Bulkers has taken another step to trim its fleet of owned vessels.
US and European shipbrokers said the bulker operator disposed of the 31,000-dwt Hedvig Bulker (built 2011). The reports suggested that Taylor Maritime has paid $10.3m for the Hakodote Shipyard-built vessel.
Lauritzen Bulkers director Jens Sondergaard director said: “We don’t comment on rumours.”
Hong Kong-headquartered Taylor did not respond to a request for comment on the reports.
Lauritzen Bulkers, a subsidiary of J Lauritzen, remains a big player in the handysize segment, even as it has trimmed its fleet of owned ships. At the end of 2018, the company operated a fleet of 58 ships, compared to 46 in 2017.
But the company chopped its owned handysize fleet to to just nine vessels last year. Then last month, Lauritzen sold the Japanese-built, 31,000-dwt Emma Bulker and Louise Bulker (both built 2010) to Taylor for $9.5m.
Asked whether Lauritzen plans to become a pure operator, company CEO Niels Josefsen said: “It will be a combination of operator and owner.”
