Seanergy Maritime has completed a previously announced IMO 2020 compliance plan in which charterers picked up the $14m tab on putting open-loop scrubbers on half of its 10 capesizes.
"We are in discussions with some of our charterers to potentially expand this agreement to some additional ships," chief executive Stamatis Tsantanis told TradeWinds.
The owner placed the retrofit ships on longterm fixtures in 2018 and 2019, the latest starting 19 December 2019.
Charterers include Cargill International, Glencore's ST Shipping and Transport and Uniper Global Commodities, according to regulatory filings.
Seanergy in October said 179,000-dwt Partnership (built 2012) and Lordship (built 2010) would be chartered to a "major European utility" for up to four years.
The 170,000-dwt Premiership and Squireship (both built 2010) were fixed to "a multinational commodity trading company" for up to five years.
The 179,000-dwt Championship (built 2011) became part of a sale-and-leaseback deal and five-year charter with an option for 18 more months.
South Korea's Hyundai Materials Corp added the kits, which comply with the 0.1% sulphur content limit for environmentally controlled areas, at Yiu Lian shipyard in Zhoushan, China.
The charterers paid for the scrubbers either by immediately reimbursing Seanergy or working the cost into the charter terms.
Both sides entered into a profit-sharing agreement based on fuel price spread, which on Monday stood at $213 per metric tonne between low-sulphur fuel oil and the cheaper high-sulphur fuel oil.
Back on the market
The Partnership is headed without cargo toward Singapore from Hong Kong and is set to reach port of call by 13 February.
The Lordship is off Mexico's western coast as it sails without cargo toward Panama Canal with a 17 February arrival date.
The Premiership is just off Africa's southern tip with cargo on course to reach Singapore by 13 February, according to Vessels Value.
The Squireship has been ballasted at anchor off Sao Luis, Brazil since 1 February. Championship is laden off the port of United Arab Emeriates' Fujairah, Vessels Value shows.
"We haven’t really seen any change in the trading patterns," Stamatis said.
"They continue on the usual main routes (C3 (Brazil to China) C5 (Australia to China)).
"In addition since we have retrofitted the ships for the Neo Panama canal, we expect to have our first crossing soon!"
Seanergy said it acquired enough marine gas oil (MGO) at "competitive pricing" to fuel the remaining five ships without scrubbers for most of this year's first quarter to hedge against price fluctuations.
MGO on Monday cost $597.50 per metric tonne on average, Ship & Bunker reveals.
