Singapore owner Swire Bulk is reported to have offloaded more of its oldest bulk carriers as its fleet renewal goes on.
Shipbrokers said the 40,000-dwt Liangchow and Lintan (both built 2015) had fetched $20.5m each from a UK-based buyer.
VesselsValue assesses the handysizes as worth $19.9m and $20.05m, respectively.
The bulkers have held their value well since they were contracted in China.
They cost Swire Bulk $23m each as newbuildings in 2013.
The units were worth only about $17m five years ago.
The company, led by chief executive Peter Norborg, told TradeWinds its policy is not to comment on market rumours.
Swire Bulk has been a busier seller than buyer in secondhand markets in recent years.
Brokers list seven vessels offloaded in 2023, all of them dating from 2014 and 2015.
But Swire Bulk was said to have added the 38,000-dwt Silver Oak (built 2018) at the end of 2023 from Genyo Kaiun of Japan.
The price is not known.
Activity exceptionally firm
The owner has 21 other bulkers, all handysizes.
One ship still dates from 2015, but the rest were built between 2016 and 2022.
Greece’s Allied Shipbroking said in its latest market update: “Bulker secondhand activity remains exceptionally firm and buying interest across the major ship types is sustaining activity at levels last seen in 2021.”
The broker points to capesizes as “particularly bullish”, with another five sales emerging over the past week.
