Meriaura Goes after Bigger Ships

Finnish shipping company Meriaura, specializing in the transport of industrial raw materials and project cargo on the Baltic Sea and in Europe, has hired a dry cargo vessel from Aalto Shipping Company on a long-term charter.

The 8,700 tonne and 12,700 cbm M/V Aristo is significantly larger than the vessels operated by Meriaura until now.

Because of its large cubic capacity, the 1 A ice-class ship is suitable for large volume bulk cargoes, such as biofuels, wood and sawn timber. The ship has two separate cargo holds and partial tween decks that allow transporting of part cargoes and project cargoes.

“With this vessel type we respond to customer needs and to changing material flows in the Baltic Sea. Carrying products of bio and circular economy has always been part of the core business of our company. Now we are able to carry larger cargo quantities,” says Beppe Rosin, Vice Managing Director of Meriaura.

The long-term time charter arrangement complies with the strategy of Meriaura Group to have a mixed fleet of owned tonnage and long-term time charter contracts.

“Expanding our fleet is a clear target. We are continuously looking for potential candidates for purchase or time charter, also the in size of M/V Airisto,” commented Rosin.

MV Airisto will be delivered to Meriaura at end of September after it completes its docking in Tallinn. After Airisto joins the Meriaura fleet, the company’s bulk tonnage will comprise of 15 vessels. Meriaura also owns and operates two deck carriers and one roro-vessel.