Meriaura Signs Five New TC Agreements

Finnish shipping company Meriaura 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 said a press note from Meriaura, specializing in the transport of industrial raw materials and project cargo on the Baltic Sea and in Europe.

M/S Enough Talk is a deck cargo carrier 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.

Multi-purpose-heavy lift vessels M/S Antonia (ex. Pietro Benedotti) and M/S Antje, that are both equipped with two heavy lift cranes are also suitable for project cargo transportations.

The ships’ cranes can lift pieces up to 160 tons, and the vessels are equipped with tweendecks. 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 tonnes and 12.000 cubic meters, and they are also well 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 remarkably 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. We have also increased the number of personnel in the project department, and have a professional and youthful team”, says Beppe Rosin, Managing Director of Meriaura.

“Even though we are investing in larger size and deck cargo class, by no means are we forgetting the smaller size tonnage that is important for many of our long-term customers,” he continues. The new 3900 tonner dry cargo vessels M/S Travetal and Alstertal represent the more traditional Meriaura vessel type and size.