Hong Kong-listed China Development Bank Financial Leasing (CDB Leasing) is seeking to sell another of its panamax bulk carriers through an online auction.
The 81,700-dwt bulker CL Dalian (built 2014) has been put up for grabs on the Chinese auction website gse020, a platform that the ship lessor often uses to offload unwanted tonnage, including the 81,600-dwt bulker BBG Qinzhou (built 2019), which was sold to Amoysailing of China for $30.06m in June.
Bidding for the CL Dalian will begin on 15 August, according to the listing. The minimum reserve price has been set at $22.5m, slightly below the $24.46m spot evaluation given by VesselsValue.
The Lloyd’s Register-classed CL Dalian, which was put through its special survey and dry-docking in March, was acquired by CDB Leasing from Cara Shipping in May 2019.
Like many ship lessors, CDB Leasing frequently sells off ships at the conclusion of their charters. TradeWinds was unable to determine to whom it has been on charter since being acquired.
So far this year, CDL has sold three bulkers as its attention turned to gas shipping through sale-and-leaseback deals for four LNG carriers from Dynagas LNG Partners and two from Awilco.
The company also acquired a medium-size cruise ship from Carnival Corp as part of a leasing deal with a Chinese cruise operator.
CDB Leasing itself has been rumoured to be up for sale since 2023.
In early July, majority shareholder China Development Bank confirmed it may consider offloading its stake in the leasing company, which owns more than 200 ships and an even larger number of aircraft.
However, the Chinese policy bank cautioned that such a sale was by no means certain, and in the meantime it would be business as usual for CDB Leasing.
