Japan’s SBI Leasing has agreed a bareboat charter deal for two stainless steel chemical tankers with Singapore-based MOL Chemical Tankers.
Without naming the ships, SBI said that it had acquired two 25,000-dwt chemical tankers which were built at Kitanihon Shipbuilding and delivered in 2020.
The pair have been chartered out on a bareboat basis to MOL Chemical Tankers — a subsidiary of shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines — at an undisclosed rate for an undisclosed period.
The two vessels in the MOL Chemical Tankers fleet which fit the description are the 25,000-dwt Furano Galaxy and the 25,000-dwt Niseko Galaxy (both built 2020).
VesselsValue estimates the Furano Galaxy is worth $53.86m and the Niseko Galaxy is worth $52.13m.
SBI said the deal will bring it stable income and also “broaden its ship finance menu.”
The ships are built to the latest newbuilding efficiency standards of the Energy Efficiency Design Index and have been fitted with energy-saving devices and can run on biodiesel.
The company said it is keen to expand its presence in the ship finance market.
SBI was established in 2017 to provide leasing services to the shipping and airline industries based on the Japanese operating lease with a call option — better known as JOLCO — leasing structures.
So far it has built up an aircraft, ship and container leasing portfolio valued at ¥400bn ($2.9bn). It started in the ship leasing business through a deal with Navig8 Chemical Tankers for two 25,000-dwt newbuildings.
