Rickmers Group has expanded in Indonesia as it inked a shipmanagement deal for Samudera’s vessels.

The Hamburg-based group said its subsidiary Rickmers Shipmanagement has been appointed as the new technical manager of a supramax duo controlled by the Indonesian owner.

Samudera mainly owns chemical carriers and containerships but also has two bulkers under its umbrella: the 57,374-dwt Sinar Kapuas and the 57,334-dwt Sinar Kutai (both built 2011).

Ignace Van Meenen, chief executive of Rickmers Group, said: “Our shipmanagement approach is based on a particularly high level of transparency ensured by extensive technical, financial and operation reporting and supported by our focus on energy efficiency and performance monitoring.”

Rickmers’ deal with Samudera comes hot on the heels of a shipmanagement agreement for 16 ships of the Westfal-Larsen fleet.

The German company now has 115 vessels under its management.

Rickmers came very close to joining forces with ER Capital Holding in the summer but the deal that would mark the biggest consolidation of German shipping assets was never completed.

Rickmers Group is controlled by Bertram Rickmers, while ER Schiffahrt is owned by Bertram’s brother Erck.

ER Capital has said in the past that it was focusing on expanding its third-party business in Asia as well.