Swiss shipping company Gearbulk Holdings is set to transfer its asphalt tanker business to the commodity trading company Trafigura, headquartered in Singapore. Gearbulk operates approximately 60 open hatch bulk carriers and is undergoing business reorganization in preparation for becoming a consolidated subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) in January 2025.
In June this year, MOL announced its plan to increase its stake in Gearbulk from the current 49% to 72% by January 2025, thereby making Gearbulk a consolidated subsidiary.
On the 22nd, Trafigura announced that it had acquired Gearbulk’s 50% stake in High Heat Tankers (HHT), a joint venture established in 2018 between Gearbulk and Trafigura’s group company. HHT was set up to provide access to the world’s largest pool of specialty tankers designed for the transportation of asphalt and other products that require transportation in a molten state at high temperatures. This pool currently operates 14 tankers ranging from 15,000 to 37,000 deadweight tons (DWT).
Kristian Jebsen, Chairman of Gearbulk, indicated plans to sell three specialty tankers currently owned by Gearbulk and chartered to HHT. The management of these three vessels will continue to be handled by Gearbulk Norway.
To further enhance HHT’s services, Trafigura has also announced the order of a new 17,500 DWT specialty tanker from a Chinese shipyard, with delivery expected between July and September 2026.
〆ギアバルクは特殊タンカー事業をトラフィグラに譲渡する
スイス船社ギアバルク・ホールディング（Gearbulk Holdings）は、アスファルトタンカー事業を資源商社トラフィグラ(Trafigura, Headquarters in Singapore)に譲渡する。ギアバルクはオープンハッチ型バルカー約60隻を運航する。2025年１月に予定されている商船三井の連結子会社になるのを見据え、事業の再編を進める。
商船三井は今年６月、ギアバルクへの出資比率について2025年1月をめどに現在の49%から72%まで高め連結子会社化すると発表した。
トラフィグラは22日、同社のグループ会社とギアバルクが２０１８年に設立したハイヒートタンカーズ（High Heat Tankers,ＨＨＴ）に関して、ギアバルクが保有していた50％の株式を取得したと発表した。
