JR Shipping Increases Container Capacity

Dutch shipowner and manager JR Shipping takes over four container spring ships and is expanding its fleet again.

Harlingen-based JR Shipping said that it has added three 1,436 TEU container feeders to its fleet. A fourth vessel with the same capacity will be added within the next few months.

Taking into account the recent sale of one of its container feeders, JR Shipping will thus increase its container capacity by over 4,500 TEU.

The phased purchase concerns the MV’s Aalderdijk, Akerdijk and Alsterdijk (first phase) and the MV Amerdijk (second phase). The first-mentioned two vessels have now been rechristened MV Essence and MV Escape and will sail for JR Shipping under the Dutch flag.

The current charter contracts with WEC Lines and Unifeeder will continue. The vessels were built at the Sainty Shipyard in China in 2011 and have ice class 1A.

The feeder vessels will be deployed within the recently founded Container Fleet Fund CV, which will also cover eleven other feeder vessels operated by the shipping company, ranging from 750 to 1,440 TEU. As soon as all four ‘A-dijk vessels’ have been transferred, the new operating company will provide the charter market with a total feeder capacity of 16,460 TEU.

Besides this considerable expansion, the shipping company has sold three of its vessels. One container feeder, the MV Evolution of 1,050 TEU, was involved. In February, she was transferred to Boan Shipping in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, the shipping company also sold two multipurpose vessels, the MV’s Estime and Esprit, both with a capacity of 4,925 MT. These vessels will also be transferred to their new owner in February. The sales transactions were prepared and monitored by JR Ship Brokers & Consultants.

Including its four additional 1,436 TEU feeder vessels, JR Shipping will be responsible for the operations and management of 18 as well as 6 offshore service vessels and 1 offshore survey vessel sailing under the flag of its subsidiary company SeaZip Offshore Service. Furthermore, JR Shipping carries out the operational management for the Clipper Stad Amsterdam, a Tall Ship.