Norwegian asset manager Ness, Risan & Partners (NRP) has joined forces with Germany's Briese Schiffahrt to add another bulker to its fleet.

NRP said the 37,100-dwt open-hatch handysize Interlink Levity (built 2014) has been jointly acquired.

The ship is fixed on a so-called "evergreen" or "eternity" charter to Germany's Oldendorff Carriers.

There is no set term for the deal, but either side can give notice of termination of three months.

The vessel receives 100% of the Baltic Exchange's 38,000-dwt handysize index rate under the charter.

NRP said the bulker complies with all necessary requirements regarding the Energy Efficiency Index for Existing Ships (EEXI).

VesselsValue assesses the Interlink Levity as being worth $17.6m.

The bulker was previously owned on a sale and leaseback basis by KKR-controlled Ocean Yield of Norway.

The operator was Interlink of Bermuda. Ocean Yield still has five Interlink vessels on its books.

The Interlink Levity was contracted as newbuilding in 2009 at a cost of $24.9m.

Ocean Yield bought the ship in an en-bloc deal in 2018.

Two vessels acquired with Briese earlier in 2021

Earlier this year, NRP teamed up with Briese to add two ships to its fleet.

The company said it had acquired and taken delivery of a 37,300-dwt handysize bulker, the BBC Pluto (built 2010).

The vessel was already managed by Briese unit BBC Chartering.

NRP partner Ragnvald Risan told TradeWinds Briese invested 25% of the equity in the shipowning entity, with the remaining 75% coming from NRP investors.

The ship was the former Pola Ilaria, owned by State Transport Leasing Co (STLC) of Russia. Briese had sold the vessel on a leaseback basis to STLC in 2017 for $9.5m.

NRP also said it had closed a newbuilding contract for a 1,900-teu eco-container feeder vessel, also with Briese.

In April, Briese had lined up an order for four of these ships at China's Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard.

In July, NRP sold its $2bn property business as it focuses on shipping and offshore.

The division was acquired by Swiss Life Asset Managers (SLAM), which is seeking to expand its geographical footprint in Scandinavia.