Meriaura Inks Charters for Five Ships

Finnish shipping company Meriaura, part of Meriaura Group, has signed new time charter-in agreements covering five vessels.

The five vessels that will join the company’s fleet include a deck cargo carrier, two multipurpose-heavy lift dry cargo vessels and two traditional dry bulk carriers.

The 5,200 dwt deck cargo carrier, Enough Talk, is of the same type and size as Meriaura’s deck cargo carriers Aura and Meri.

“Time chartering of M/S Enough Talk significantly increases Meriaura’s cargo capacity and position in the field of demanding project cargo shipments in Northern Europe. Increase in capacity brings more flexibility to the service and allows some of the equipment to be designated to longer-term projects,” the company said.

Meriaura will also add to its fleet multipurpose heavy lift vessels M/S Antonia and M/S Antje, that are both equipped with two heavy lift cranes and are also suitable for project cargo transportations. The ships’ cranes can lift pieces up to 160 tons, and the vessels are equipped with tweendecks.

As explained, the length of the ships enables the transport of for example wind turbine parts and blades, that have grown in size considerably in recent years. The vessels’ cargo capacities are approx. 8,500 and 7,900 tons and 12,000 cubic meters, and they are also suitable for carrying bulk cargoes. Meriaura already started in the 8,000-tonner segment with M/S Airisto last autumn, and with the new contracts the company increases its tonnage in the new, larger segment.

“With these multipurpose vessels we seek efficiency and ability to combine bulk and project shipments in the Baltic and the North Sea,” Beppe Rosin, Managing Director of Meriaura, commented.

Moreover, Meriaura is also expanding its fleet with two singledeckers, the new 3,900-ton dry cargo vessels M/S Travetal and Alstertal.

Some of the new vessels have already joined the Meriaura fleet and the rest will be joining during February 2019, according to the company.

The recent charter agreements follow the company’s acquisition of two 4,100 dwt dry cargo ships by VG-Shipping, also part of Meriaura Group. The acquisition, finalized in October 2018, was part of the group’s strategy based on self-owned tonnage completed by long-term time charter agreements.