Slow fleet growth in the high-end all-stainless chemical carrier market and the indirect influence of a product tanker boom make for a hopeful outlook for the ships now on order.
So believes Hans Solberg, managing director of Bergen-based Hansa Tankers.
The Hansa pool for 19,000-dwt to 36,000-dwt chemical carriers is still seeing strong rates after a bonanza late last year.
“There has been no dramatic fall in rates since the peak month of November,” he said. “They are about 10% down from the peak month of November, but still historically high.”
Solberg will not make any predictions for rates further out than the present quarter, but believes supply factors should continue to support them, with “a very slim orderbook” for specialised high-end tonnage right now.
The current boom in rates for product tankers is also positive because it means that MR tankers will stay in their lane and not compete with Solberg’s clients for easy chemical cargoes.
“Modern MR tonnage in the Atlantic has gone from $11,000 a day to $55,000 a day and, of course, it is important for us that the MRs are making plenty [of] money on clean petroleum products and not tempted to swing over into our lane,” he said.
Among the ships Solberg runs for a group of European and Asian owners are two owned by Harald Moraeus-Hanssen’s Uthalden Maritime in 50:50 joint venture with Norwegian legacy shipowner Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi. TradeWinds has separately reported on Uthalden’s previously undisclosed order of two further 19,900-dwt ships from Fukuoka Shipbuilding in Japan, for delivery this year and next.
Oslo-based financial owner Moraeus-Hanssen told TradeWinds that he is pleased with the performance of the older ships in Solberg’s pool but has made no decisions on commercial arrangements for the newbuildings.
“They are a perfect fit for us, very attractive,” Solberg said. “We had a dialogue about them when they were ordered but there has been no commitment from his side.”
The Hansa Tankers fleet has shrunk slightly from sale-and-purchase activity of owners. Also, two ships from Arne Blystad’s Songa Chemicals — the 19,900-dwt Songa Breeze and Songa Winds (both built 2009) — are shortly to go on time charter to Saudi Arabian Bahri Chemicals for regional trading, to lock in rates in the high market.
But Japan’s Nisshin Shipping, a key pool member, continues to add both secondhand acquisitions and newbuildings to the pool, which now stands at 44 vessels.
As recently as this week, Solberg said a new prospective owner was visiting Bergen to talk about acquiring a vessel and placing it with the Hansa pool.
