Emanuele Lauro-led owner Scorpio Bulkers is continuing its aggressive programme to sell the existing fleet as it pivots into spending on wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs).
New York-listed Scorpio has pulled in a further $18.5m after offloading the 62,200-dwt SBI Zeus (built 2016) to an unidentified third party not connected with the Scorpio group.
The disposal, announced on Wednesday, marks the seventh unit sold since the process began, with no slowdown in sight. When the deal closes, Scorpio Bulkers will be down to 43 owned vessels.
VesselsValue estimates the SBI Zeus is worth $19.28m, and has also valued other Scorpio ships sold thus far at prices higher than actually fetched.
The SBI Zeus was ordered at Japan's Mitsui Ichihara yard, along with a sistership, for $30.2m in 2013, VesselsValue said.
Scorpio also sold a similar vessel, the 60,200-dwt SBI Hera (built 2016), for $18.5m last week.
On Monday, TradeWinds reported that Robert Maersk Uggla-backed Navigare Capital Partners is expanding its fleet by buying two ultramaxes that Scorpio Bulkers previously announced it had sold.
Navigare managing partner Henrik Ramskov confirmed that investment company has purchased the 64,000-dwt SBI Phoenix and SBI Samson (both built 2017).
Scorpio's sales spree comes after the Monaco shipowner signed a letter of intent at South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering for a $265m to $290m WTIV project.
Scorpio also holds options for three more vessels and is expected to exercise them.
A full sale of the existing fleet is likely to create enough liquidity to fund the equity portion of the first two units, according to sources familiar with the project.
