Asian Spirit Steamship Company Adds New Feeders

Germany-based Asian Spirit Steamship Company has taken delivery of its first two newbuildings.

The company said that the two ECO16 vessels were named Spirit of Kolkata and Spirit of Chennai.

The units feature “unique design parameters bringing them to the pole position of efficient feeder vessel design, both in terms of fuel efficiency and cargo carrying capacity.”

Constructed by China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding, the Feedermax ships are capable of carrying up to 1,162 TEUs.

Following delivery, the vessels, that were ordered from the yard in August 2016, started their charter contracts with Swiss shipping major Mediterranean Shipping Company.

The units were each hired under a two year contract at a charter rate of USD 12,500 per day. The charterer also has an option to extend the deals by one year each at a rate of USD 14,000 per day.

The vessels were ordered from the yard in August 2016. Asian Spirit Steamship Company has another six of such units currently under construction. Two of these would join the company by the end of 2019, while the remaining four are scheduled for delivery in 2020.

Earlier this year, media reports suggested that the bankrupted German shipowner and operator Bertram Rickmers was behind the boxships ordered from China by Asian Spirit Steamship Company.

The newbuildings would allegedly be deployed in Asia, visiting draught-restricted ports in smaller regional markets.

World Maritime News Staff