| Hamburg shipowner Rickmers Group today confirmed the takeover of three 9,300 teu newbuildings that are under construction at Korean builder STX. It said the ships have been acquired jointly with a financial investor whose identity the company refused to disclose. The transaction had been rumoured for some weeks already. According to shipbrokers, Rickmers bought the ships together with private equity partner Apollo in a resale from Italian owner D’Amato. Rickmers declined to comment when IHS Maritime contacted the group’s PR agency today. The company stated in a press release that the total investment for the three post-panamaxes amounts to EUR260 million (USD280 million) and that all vessels are chartered out long-term to CMA CGM. Charter market rates for ships of this class are currently in the high USD30,000s to low USD40,000s per day. Two of the units are going to be delivered over the coming six months and the third one in February 2016, Rickmers said |