Deutsche-Afrika Linien/John T Essberger Group (DAL/JTE) is putting its focus on boxships and chemical tankers after quietly exiting the dry bulk sector.
The German shipowner has purchased the 6,589-teu Mataquito (built 2010) and is proceeding with an eight-ship chemical tanker newbuilding order.
That comes after the sale of three handysize bulkers — its last dry bulk vessels.
The moves are part of a plan designed to steer the company back to its roots, a spokesperson confirmed.
The Mataquito, to be renamed DAL Kalahari, has been acquired from fellow German owner Peter Dohle Schiffahrts.
It will be deployed as a replacement to the 8,850-teu Maersk Luz (built 2011), which DAL had chartered from Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk.
The amount being paid for the Mataquito is not known, but the vessel is worth more than $20m, according to Maritime Strategies International estimates.
Charter market hedge
DAL will operate the Mataquito on the 10-vessel South Africa-Europe Container Service, which is operated together with partners Maersk and Ocean Network Express.
The German owner deems the Mataquito as suitable for the trade given its high number of reefer plugs.
It will be delivered to its new owner at the end of the year after finishing its current charter with Hapag-Lloyd.
Big boxship charter rates have rocketed in recent months, and large containerships are hard to secure as the supply has dried up. So DAL has acquired its own post-panamax containership as a hedge against a volatile charter market, a spokesperson confirms.
The addition of the Mataquito will give DAL ownership of four container vessels.
That includes a pair of 2,268-teu sisterships Ubena and Ulanga (both built 2016). These operate on its services in the Indian Ocean for subsidiary United Africa Feeder Line.
A fourth vessel, the 4,500-teu Maersk Launceton (built 2005), is on charter with Maersk until early 2021.
Sales of handysize bulkers
The purchase comes after DAL/JTE recently exited the bulker sector.
The Hamburg-based owner had three handysize bulkers operating in the Hanseatic Unity Handysize Pool, a joint venture established last year between Reederei Nord and Peter Dohle.
One of those vessels, the 34,300-dwt Swakop (built 2013), was sold in August to Lamda Maritime of Greece for around $8m.
The company confirmed that the two sisterships Selinda and Zambesi (all built 2013) have also been sold.
DAL/JTE managing director Eberhart Von Rantzau wrote in a recent newsletter that the Swakop was sold due to the "continued bad results of our bulk carrier fleet".
Newbuildings
He also confirmed that the company would press ahead with a newbuilding programme for its chemical tanker division, Essberger Tankers.
The company is planning to invest in eight 6,600-dwt chemical parcel tankers.
Contracts had been planned to be signed in the second quarter of 2020, although the coronavirus has set that timetable back.
"We continue with our newbuilding programme for Essberger Tankers, albeit at a slower pace," Von Rantzau said.
The ice-class 1A stainless-steel tankers are designed with dual-fuel engines, with LNG tanks to be added on deck.
They are part of a fleet replacement of older tonnage in the Essberger Tankers fleet. Some 14 of its tankers will be 25 years old by 2026.
Low chemical cargo volumes due to the coronavirus led DAL/JTE to sell two of its older tankers and lay-up two smaller ones, Von Rantzau said.
"Covid-19 has been a major setback in our efforts to achieve acceptable result for our group of companies in 2020," he added.
