Hapag-Lloyd has tied up five-year charters with German shipowner D Oltmann Reederei for two post-panamax container ships in deals worth more than $200m.

The liner operator is taking the 8,845-teu Maersk Semarang (built 2007) and 6,541-teu RDO Conception (built 2006) for five years, according to UK brokers.

Hapag-Lloyd is paying about $64,000 per day for the Maersk Semarang, or around $116m over the period to 2027.

The RDO Conception has been fixed at $54,000 per day, or $98.5m over the five years.

That is similar to the rate obtained for the 6,969-teu RDO Concord (built 2009), which Hapag-Lloyd took on charter for five years in July.

Few prompt vessels of this size are available, and Bremen-based Oltmann is taking advantage of high demand by forward-fixing its container ships with delivery in 2022.

The move is a fantastic deal for Rogge family-led Oltmann, which is proving an astute player in the charter and sale-and-purchase markets.

In September, Oltmann sold the 6,969-teu RDO Concert (built 2009) to OM Maritime of Singapore for a price reported to be in excess of $100m.

The vessel has been renamed Timon and was delivered at the start of December.

The fixture of the Maersk Semarang is also set to prove lucrative.

The vessel was acquired in late 2020 from Eyal Ofer's London-based Zodiac Maritime for $22.5m.

Today, it is estimated to be worth $80m, according to VesselsValue.

Scarcity of tonnage

Zim has taken the Seaspan Loncomilla for 60 months at $39,000 per day, brokers said. Photo: Liebherr Container Cranes

It is the largest in the Oltmann fleet of seven container ships of between 5,029 teu and 8,845 teu.

The scarcity of container ship tonnage next year suggests interest may shortly force liner operators to look at positions in 2023, according to brokers.

Greek owner Danaos fixed the 5,466-teu Wide Bravo (built 2014) for three years from June next year to an unnamed liner operator. It is one of six wide-beam ships of this size acquired by Danaos in July.

Zim recently chartered a pair of neo-panamaxes from New York-listed Global Ship Lease.

The 9,115-teu UASC Al Khor and Maira XL (both built 2015) have been fixed for 60 months at $65,000 per day.

Both vessels are on legacy charters earning between $31,650 and $34,000 per day through to the third quarter of next year.

Mediterranean Shipping Co has reportedly taken the 5,605-teu Hermann Schulte and Hubert Schulte (both built 2012) — currently trading as MOL Gratitude and MOL Growth respectively — for 60 months at $50,000 per day.

This is in line with the rate obtained by a sister vessel in early October, according to market sources.

In the traditional panamax sizes, Zim has reportedly taken the 4,253-teu Seaspan Loncomilla (built 2009) for 60 months at $39,000 per day. It is scheduled for delivery next July.