Erasmus Shipinvest Group, led by John Su, has made additions to its expanding fleet while teaming up with a crewing partner in the Far East.
Su has been targeting expansion in the LPG and container segments, and at least three such vessels have joined the company’s fleet.
One of them is the 1,096-teu Kiso (renamed ANL Kiwi Trader, built 2023).
Shipping databases list Erasmus as the new owner and manager of the Kyokuyo-built boxship, which was reported sold by Japan’s Imoto Lines for $26m.
A pair of identical sister ships may also be joining the Erasmus fleet.
The A Ontake and the Kaifu (both built 2023) were reported sold by Imoto to undisclosed buyers in late June, in the same en-bloc deal as the Kiso.
Su did not respond to questions seeking to clarify whether the A Ontake and the Kaifu will become part of the Erasmus fleet.
The company has been more open about the latest additions to its budding LPG carrier fleet.
Erasmus and Japanese partners have taken over two ships previously with BW-backed Epic Gas — the 5,000-cbm Epic St Kitts (renamed Gas Miracle, built 2008) and Epic St Thomas (renamed Gas Noble, built 2014).
Data platforms suggest that a third Epic Gas ship, the 5,000-cbm Epic St Lucia (renamed Gas Oskar, built 2008), has been bought by Japanese partners of Erasmus as well.
The price of the LPG vessel transactions, which were agreed over the summer, has not been disclosed.
New management friends
Su’s acquisitions are in line with his stated expansion targets.
Previously a pure-play bulker man, Su expanded into container ships and told TradeWinds in April that he had assembled eight gas carriers, with the hope of eventually developing a fleet of up to 20 such vessels.
Erasmus has been working on its corporate infrastructure and third-party cooperations to help meet and support its expansion goals.
TradeWinds has already reported how the company set up two separate outfits to manage its non-bulker vessels — Erasmus Gas Carriers and Erasmus Container Lines.
In addition, it struck a deal in June to put a “double-digit” number of vessels under the management of UK-based industry giant V.Group.
In May, Erasmus’ China-based ship management affiliate Glory Ships obtained a licence to set up an Athens office.
Now it has announced that crewing outfit ISM Vietnam Marine Services has become an Erasmus Group member tasked with handling all its crew recruitment and training in Vietnam.
Erasmus describes itself as “the largest single user of Vietnamese oceangoing seafarers”, especially during the Covid pandemic.
The company set up an office in Hai Phong, Vietnam in 2020, which developed a crew pool of more than 500 seafarers on board and 300 on leave.
