SBI Leasing Services has announced the signing of a ship leasing contract and the structuring of an investment project with Capital Product Partners L.P. (CPLP), headquartered in Greece.
Photo courtesy =CPLC,SBI Leasing Services
SBI Leasing Services, part of Japan’s financial giant SBI Group and headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has entered into a ship leasing contract with Greek shipping major Capital Product Partners (CPLP) and structured an investment project targeting this leasing business. In cooperation with its partner, French bank BNP Paribas, SBI Leasing Services is forming a JOLCO (Japanese Operating Lease with Call Option) for CPLP. The two companies are targeting the new LNG ship “APOSTOLOS,” scheduled for completion in June 2024, for this JOLCO, which is a Japanese-style operating lease with a purchase option. The vessel is expected to be chartered on a long-term basis by a Japanese company.
Capital Product Partners, a leading Greek shipowner, was listed on the NASDAQ market in the United States in 2007. As of June, CPLP owns a fleet of 20 vessels, including 12 state-of-the-art LNG ships and eight large container ships. It also holds an order backlog of 16 vessels, including six LNG ships, six medium-sized LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) ships, and four CO2 (carbon dioxide) carriers, scheduled for completion between 2026 and 2027.
In May 2024, SBI Leasing structured a JOLCO for CPLP’s new LNG vessel “ASSOS” (completed in May). The current JOLCO for the “APOSTOLOS” marks SBI Leasing’s second vessel for CPLP.
The new LNG vessel “APOSTOLOS” is equipped with the latest high-performance engines designed to meet environmental regulations, such as GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emission reductions. In recent years, the demand for LNG ships has increased globally due to the rising demand for clean energy and Europe’s efforts to reduce reliance on Russian LNG following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further boosting the demand for maritime transportation.
SBI Leasing considers the LNG vessel business a growth sector and commented on the significance of this JOLCO formation: “This contributes to providing investors with more opportunities for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment.”
■JOLCO Explanation
A scheme in which leasing companies or financial product trading firms act as arrangers and establish a Special Purpose Company (SPC) with investment from Japanese investors. The SPC uses funds from investors and bank loans to purchase new or existing ships and leases them to operators (shipping companies) or shipowners. Borrowing operators or shipowners can maintain vessels without their own funds. This sch
〆ＳＢＩリーシング（SBI Leasing Services）はギリシャ船主ＣＰＬＰ向けＬＮＧ船２隻目のＪＯＬＣＯを組成した。
新たにCapital Product Partners L.P.（本社：ギリシャ、以下「CPLP」といいます。）との船舶リース契約の締結並びに同リース事業を対象とした投資案件の組成を行ったことをお知らせいたします。
日本の金融大手ＳＢＩグループのＳＢＩリーシングサービス（SBI Leasing Services、本社・東京都港区）は、ギリシャ船主大手キャピタル・プロダクト・パートナーズ（本社・ギリシャ、Capital Product Partners、ＣＰＬＰ）との船舶リース契約の締結、そのリース事業を対象とした投資案件の組成を行ったと発表した。
ＳＢＩリーシングサービスは提携する仏ＢＮＰパリバ銀行（BNP Paribas）と協力してCＬＰＣ向けＪＯＬＣＯを組成する。両社は２０２４年６月竣工の新造ＬＮＧ船「ＡＰＯＳＴＯＬＯＳ」を対象にＪＯＬＣＯ（Japanese Operating Lease with Call Option、購入選択権付き日本型オペレーティングリース、ワード参照）のＪＯＬＣＯを組成する。同船は日本企業が長期にわたり定期用船する予定である。
ギリシャ船主大手ＣＰＬＰは２００７年に米ＮＡＳＤＡＱ市場に上場し、６月時点で最新鋭のＬＮＧ船12隻、大型コンテナ船８隻の計20隻を保有している。新造発注残として26―27年竣工予定のＬＮＧ船６隻、中型ＬＰＧ（液化石油ガス）船６隻、ＣＯ２（二酸化炭素）運搬船４隻の計16隻を確保している。