Norway's Hansa Tankers has taken another step to expand its fleet of stainless steel chemical tankers.
A group of investors put together by Tailwind Management has purchased the 33,800-dwt Chemroad Lily (built 2006), which will join the Bergen-based Hansa Tankers pool.
Brokers claimed the Japanese-controlled vessel was purchased for $14m, but TradeWinds understands the price is somewhat higher, indicating that the values of such ships are rising.
One of the Hansa Tankers pool partners, Nisshin Shipping of Japan, is poised to add a 19,000-dwt tanker and a 25,000-dwt tanker to the operation.
That will see the pool rise to 46 vessels, ranking it as the fourth-largest stainless steel chemical tanker company.
Hansa chief executive Hans Solberg confirmed the purchase of the Chemroad Lily but declined to confirm the price.
He thinks the market for stainless steel chemical tankers has reached its bottom and that it is unlikely that many more will be built in the next two to three years.
The equity to purchase the Chemroad Lily, which is currently in the fleet of Japan's Iino Kaiun Kaisha, has partly been brought together by investors on the western coast of Norway and partly through Pareto Securities.
The investor group is being put together by Frank-Petter Kval and Petter Traaholt of Tailwind Management.
Hansa Tankers was set up 10 years ago. Other ships in the pool are controlled by Inventor Chemical Tankers, Midgard Shipping, K Line, Marnavi and Doun Kisen.
