Dry bulk and tanker player Arpeni Pratama Ocean Line has moved into Indonesia’s busy ferry market with the purchase of a large Japanese ropax.
Details have emerged in the market of Arpeni’s new ferry venture after the 26,900-gt ferry Utopia (built 1987) arrived in Southeast Asian waters under Arpeni ownership and bearing the name of Opia.
The 1,982-lane-metre, 390-passenger vessel previously operated between Japan and China for Utopia Line, a subsidiary of Japanese ferry operator Nishinihon Kisen.
Indonesian sources tell TradeWinds that Arpeni won approval from the Ministry of Marine Affairs & Fisheries in March to operate a ferry service between Tanjung Priok — the port for Jakarta — and Surabaya, both on the island of Java. The company eventually plans to run four large ropax vessels on the route.
The service is part of a government initiative to move freight off Java’s badly congested roads and onto the country’s sea lanes.
The model has proved successful in Japan for several decades.
As an archipelago nation, Indonesia is well served by numerous ferry services, although to date, all have operated between different islands.
While Arpeni plans to build up its ferry fleet, it is scaling back its presence in the tanker market by selling the 34,800-dwt Durgandini (built 1993) for scrap.
The products tanker has been laid up at Tanjung Priok since the beginning of this year after completing a charter to Pertamina.
The sale leaves Arpeni with just one small, 6,900-dwt products tanker.
Arpeni is best known as a bulker player, with five modern panamax vessels that are mostly used to service domestic coal contracts. It also owns several small general cargoships and a handful of tugs and barges.
