Fortum Clarifies Financing
The Board of Directors has decided to redeem the preference shares issued by Fortum Corporation's subsidiary, Fortum Capital Limited. The redemption will take place on December 30, 2003. The preference shares, worth EUR 1.2 billion, were issued in connection with the financing arrangements related to the acquisition of Stora Enso power assets in June 2000. Fortum will finance the redemption with debt. All of the preference shares have carried a fixed dividend of 6.7% per annum. The interest rate swap arrangements that Fortum simultaneously entered into has brought Fortum's effective cost of funding below the fixed rate dividend. The proceeds of the bond offering made by Fortum in early November with favourable market terms will be used for the redemption.
Behemoth in the Offing?
Attuned to the liner shipping industry's unerring drive for economies of scale, classification society Lloyd's Register (LR) has developed a conceptual design of container vessel incorporating a 12,500-TEU capacity. Although some 55-60 percent greater in slot capacity than the biggest cellular vessels ordered to date, the envisaged Ultra Large Container Ship (ULCS) would be able to transit the Suez Canal and access key ports. LR considers that there are no insurmountable technical challenges to vessels of 12,500 TEU, and believes that it is only a matter of time before such tonnage makes its appearance in deep sea trade. The next five to 10 years could see the uptake of the envisaged new breed of behemoths by the container shipping industry.
