Safe Bulkers has sold a kamsarmax as it continues its mission to have one of the greenest dry bulk fleets in shipping.
The New York-listed owner of 11 panamaxes, now nine kamsarmaxes, 18 post-panamaxes and eight capesizes has offloaded the 82,000-dwt Pedhoulas Cherry (built 2015) for $26.6m to an undisclosed buyer.
Safe Bulkers plans to deliver the vessel, which online valuation platform VesselsValue gives a market price of $23m, to the new owner in either January or February of next year.
The ship was built by Jiangsu New Yangzijiang Shipbuilding of China and is flagged in the Marshall Islands.
“As we take delivery of Phase 3 newbuilds, we decided to proceed with a selective sale of MV Pedhoulas Cherry at a price we consider attractive,” president Loukas Barmparis said in a statement, referring to Phase 3 of the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index.
“Company’s remaining orderbook includes seven more Phase 3 newbuilds, two of which are methanol dual fuel, with delivery dates three in 2024, two in 2025, one in 2026, and one in 2027, targeting one of the most environmentally efficient dry bulk fleets in the market.”
Over the past three years, Safe Bulkers has ordered 14 Phase 3 vessels that also comply with Tier 3 of the IMO’s NOx emissions standards. Six of them have already been delivered, the company said.
TradeWinds previously reported in early October that Safe Bulkers had ordered two dual-fuel methanol 81,200-dwt kamsarmaxes that are due for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.
Market sources believe the yard is part of the Tsuneishi Shipbuilding group and the vessels will cost about $45m each.
