Aspo Plc STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE January 9, 2014 at 14:00
ESL Shipping Ltd., part of Aspo Group, has today purchased m/s Credo, a 20,000 dwt dry cargo vessel, which it previously owned jointly with the Swedish Donsöshipping KB.
After the transaction the vessel will be renamed m/s Kallio and transferred from the Swedish flag into the Finnish Register of Ships. ESL Shipping's vessels have traditionally been named after districts of Helsinki. This modern 1A Super ice-strengthened Eira-class dry cargo vessel was built in China.
ESL Shipping has time-chartered and operated the vessel since 2006 when it initially started sailing. At the time, the cost level of vessels sailing under the Swedish flag was considerably lower than in Finland. Recently, measures taken in Finland to improve the competitiveness of shipping have created the preconditions for the acquisition of the vessel and transferring it under the Finnish flag. In addition to the tonnage tax introduced in Finland, in particular the competitive manning agreement signed with the shipping trade unions assist in creating new jobs on the seas.
The transaction will enable more cost-efficient operation of the vessel. The value of the investment is approximately EUR 13 million and it is estimated to improve ESL Shipping's operating profit by approximately EUR 1.5 million annually. At the same time, ESL Shipping will sell its minority share in Credo AB, the former owner of the vessel.
ESL Shipping transports dry bulk materials, mainly in the Baltic Sea region; in 2012, it transported approximately 10.4 million tons. The cargo mainly consists of ore, coal and limestone. With the newest addition, m/s Kallio, the shipping company's fleet consists of 15 vessels, 13 of which it owns in full and two are leased. The combined deadweight capacity of the vessels is approximately 287,000 tons.
M/s Kallio - technical details: (ex m/s Credo)
Tonnage 21.353 dwt
Length 159 m
Breadth 24.6 m
Draft 9.4 m
Ice class 1A Super
Three built-in cranes
ASPO Plc
Aki Ojanen
CEO
Further information:
Aki Ojanen, Aspo Plc, CEO, phone +358 9 5211 or +358 400 106 592, aki.ojanen@aspo.com, www.aspo.com
Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping Ltd, phone +358 9 5211 or +358 50 3517791, mikki.koskinen@eslshipping.com, www.eslshipping.com
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Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in the Northern Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kaukomarkkinat - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, customer relationships, and the development of these. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedules.