Rickmers News

The Windward Offshore consortium said Monday it had ordered two state-of-the-art Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) from VARD to "establish a sturdy basis for its maritime asset services focusing on bolstering the burgeoning offshore wind industry."Winward Offshore is a consortium currently under establishment and is led by SeaRenergy Group in collaboration with Blue Star Group, Diana Shipping Inc., and SeraVerse GmbH."Windward Offshore will play a key role in the energy transition by providing integrated offshore wind service solutions.

Ship management company V.Group has announced the appointment of Bjoern Sprotte as chief executive officer, Ship Management.Based in Hamburg and reporting directly to V.Group CEO René Kofod-Olsen, Sprotte replaces Franck Kayser, who has requested to refocus his overall responsibilities and will be assuming leadership of the Group’s activities in Denmark.Sprotte joins V.Group from OSM Maritime Group, where he spent four years in a number of senior roles, including chief operating officer…

When Søren Andersen took the helm at StormGeo in September 2019, it was the self-confessed “dream job” for the 23-year shipping industry veteran. Andersen came with leadership experience from the likes of A.P. Møller – Maersk, APL, and Rickmers, among others, bringing to StormGeo inside experience on how ship owners can modernize practices and procedures to quantifiably cut emissions and fuel costs.“What I saw in StormGeo was a company with the opportunity to enrich the shipping industry…

In the 2019 first half, 106,000 TEU - 20-ft standard containers - were handled in Hamburg on direct services with Indian ports, a gain of 17 percent. This brought India up into tenth place in Hamburg’s ranking of its trading partners for container transport.With Hapag Lloyd and its partner shipowners ONE, YML and COSCO offering an additional weekly sailing from Hamburg on the IEX - South-East India–Europe Express service from November onwards, the prospects for further growth are good.Ten liner services link the Port of Hamburg with India. Of these, four are container liner services, three are Ro-Ro services transporting vehicles, and three are general cargo services…

German shipping services company BBC Chartering has announced that Ulrich Ulrichs has taken over the CEO position from Svend Andersen as announced in May of this year."The shareholders would like to thank Svend Andersen for his many years with BBC Chartering and his contribution to develop and grow the company to become the market-leading operator of multipurpose and heavy lift vessels," said a press note from the operator of multipurpose and heavy lift vessels.Ulrich Ulrichs was working as Chief Commercial Officer and has many years of experience in shipping and is well-known in the heavy-lift industry.Within his 20 year-long tenure in shipping…

The Board of Directors of StormGeo has appointed Søren Andersen as the new CEO of StormGeo. Andersen will take up his new position on September 2, 2019. Interim CEO, Henrik Dahl, will reassume his role as Non-executive Director on the Board of Directors of StormGeo.Andersen has more than 20 years of leadership experience from companies such as A.P. Møller – Maersk, APL, Rickmers and several start-ups. Most recently, he served as the CEO of 2020seaways, a modern shipowner focused on environmentally and economically superior container tonnage.

Germany’s Zeaborn Ship Management has contracted Verifavia Shipping and the Korean Register (KR) to perform inventory of hazardous materials (IHM) preparation and certification for over 100 vessels.The vessels are managed by Zeaborn Ship Management, a consolidation of E.R. Schiffahrt and Rickmers Shipmanagement, and must be IHM compliant to meet the terms of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) and the Hong Kong (HK) International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.The HK Convention is aimed at reducing the negative impact of ship recycling on human health and safety, and on the environment. The…

The ZEABORN Group has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining ownership interests in ZEAMARINE held by New Mountain Capital.The ZEAMARINE joint venture was formed in August 2018 when New Mountain Capital and ZEABORN agreed to combine the commercial activities of Intermarine, ZEABORN Chartering and Rickmers-Line under the umbrella of ZEAMARINE, creating one of the world’s largest MPP carriers.The most recent transaction is subject to approval from the antitrust authorities.

The leading provider of global tramp and liner services for the ocean transportation of heavy lift Zemarine has appointed Hugo Trumpy as exclusive agent for the Italian market.With more than 100 years of combined experience, Intermarine, Zeaborn and Rickmers-Line have combined and consolidated operations to unite as Zeamarine, a new and trusted industry leader, said a press release.The JV will have more than 85 vessels and is expected to exceed 100 vessels by year-end. The near-term strategy for the new, one group one company Zeamarine is growth, improved customer service; and a continued search for opportunities to build the business.Zeamarine operates those multi-purpose heavy lift vessels with deadweight capacities between 6.300 and 30.000 dwat, representing a market share of about 15%.

Verifavia Shipping claimed success in the independent certification of IT systems and solutions designed to support compliance with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Data Collection System (DCS) regulation and European Union (EU) Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV).With both regulations now in force, increasing numbers of IT systems are available to assist ship owners and operators in collating and reporting emissions data, all of which need to strictly adhere to the relevant legal requirements."More than 30 of these systems have now been certified or are currently undergoing certification by Verifavia," the emissions verification company for the transport sector (aviation and shipping) said in a press release.According to the release…

V.Group has announced the appointment of Nils Aden as Managing Director of V.Ships Germany in Hamburg.The global marine and offshore vessel management and support services provider said in a press release that the announcement reaffirms its commitment to growing in, and leading the transformation of, the German shipmanagement market.Last year, V.Group announced that it would invest in a centre of excellence for container shipmanagement in Hamburg, bringing together the best expertise to deliver the highest quality service for its customers.As the shipmanagement segment consolidates, V.Group sees Hamburg as a key market, citing significant demand from the container…

When the stern tube bearing on the 490' x 75' container ship M/V Marine Rickmers began to fail, Durban, South Africa-based Elgin Brown & Hamer (EBH South Africa) replaced it with state-of-the-art, pollution-free Vesconite. The innovative self-lubricating polymer is far superior to oil-lubricated lignum vitae, white metal and composite bearings, especially with the implementation of ever more stringent environmental regulations.Vesconite doesn't swell in water and machines to +/-0.001", so tight tolerances are always ensured.

The ZEABORN Group announced it has combined its two recently acquired Hamburg-based ship management companies to form one global brand, ZEABORN Ship Management GmbH & Cie. KG.Bremen-based ZEABORN Group has brought together Rickmers Shipmanagement, which was acquired by ZEABORN in September 2017, and E.R. Schiffahrt, acquired in February 2018. The company will trade under its new name with effect from August 10, 2018.The combined technically managed fleet currently comprises more…

Maritime Holdings Delaware, LLC, parent company of project, breakbulk and heavylift cargo carrier Intermarine, LLC has entered into a joint venture agreement with Zeaborn Group.The joint venture entity, ZeaMarine GmbH, will include the transfer of assets and operating entities from Zeaborn´s commercial activities as well as Zeaborn-owned Rickmers Line GmbH and Maritime Holdings-owned Intermarine, LLC.The shareholders of the newly-formed ZEAMARINE will also commit to fund new capital to grow the joint venture. Zeaborn Group will serve as the majority shareholder.

As in 2016, Germany and Greece top the list of country dumpers in 2017, according to new data released today by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. German owners, including banks and ship funds, beached 50 vessels out of a total of 53 sold for demolition. Greek owners were responsible for the highest absolute number of ships sold to South Asian shipbreaking yards in 2017: 51 ships in total. Since the Platform’s first compilation of data in 2009, Greek shipping companies have unceasingly topped the list of owners that opt for dirty and dangerous shipbreaking. Despite increased pressure for safe and clean ship recycling from Norwegian investors and authorities, in 2017, the number of Norwegian-owned ships scrapped on the beach was on the rise: 18 ended up in Alang, Gadani and Chittagong.

Hamburg entrepreneur Erck Rickmers has sold his ship management and ship brokerage activities. Effective January 1, 2018, Bremen-based Zeaborn Group acquired all shares in E.R. Schiffahrt GmbH & Cie. KG and shipbroker Harper Petersen & Co. With the takeover, Zeaborn’s shipping fleet under commercial and technical management has been expanded by 61 container vessels and 20 bulk carriers to more than 165 vessels. All staff, approximately 200 employees ashore and 2,800 at sea, will transfer to the Zeaborn Group. Nils Aden, currently chief executive officer of E.R.

Vessel sales for October 2017 (as of November 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York. 10/29 - COASTAL NO.

German shipping group Rickmers, which filed for insolvency in June, said on Thursday its ship management unit had the all-clear to continue business after it was bought by Bremen-based Zeaborn Group and owner Bertram Rickmers. The company said in a statement that a consortium consisting of Zeaborn and Bertram Rickmers bought the division, which has its main sites in Hamburg, Singapore and Cyprus after they won a bidding process. "It has only taken a few months after preliminary self-administration of the assets of Rickmers Holding AG was ordered to find a solution for continuing the business…

Rickmers Trust Management, a trustee-manager of Rickmers Maritime, informed that the trust has been wound up. The units of the trust and its notes shall cease to exist, said its trustee-manager in a Singapore Exchange (SGX) filing. The trust has made final distributions to unsecured creditors, representing a recovery of about 12.1 per cent. "There will be no further distributions or payments, cash or otherwise, to the unsecured creditors of the Trust, including the holders of the S$100 million 8.45 per cent. notes due 2017. The outstanding amount due on the Notes has been paid to the Notes Trustee, DB International Trust (Singapore) Pte Limited," said the statement.

HSH syndicate, comprising HSH Nordbank and DBS Bank, has approved the sale of the remaining nine of 14 vessels of Singapore-based Rickmers Trust Management for some $54 million to Navios Partners Containers and Navios Partners Containers Finance. The total consideration will also include an amount to support settlement of operational cash deficits to closing, said Rickmers Trust Management in an update on the winding up of Rickmers Maritime. The sales of these nine vessels are expected to be completed in parts from July 12, 2017, Rickmers said. The sale of the first five containerships was completed in late May. The vessels are secured to the HSH syndicate and as the total proceeds from the sale fall below the loan outstanding due and payable…

Navios Group has  launched Navios Containers, a vehicle dedicated to the container sector. Navios Containers has the right to acquire all containerships offered to the Group, said Angeliki Frangou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Navios Containers used the proceeds of the private placement, which was  closed on June 8, 2017, to acquire five 4,250 TEU vessels from Navios Partners for a total purchase price of $64.0 million. The payment terms included a $24.0 million credit by Navios Partners for a period of up to 90 days from the purchase date at LIBOR plus 375 bps, of which $14.0 million remained outstanding as of June 30, 2017.

The Marshall Islands-based shipping company Navios Maritime Containers has closed the acquisition of the remaining four container vessels and as a result has completed the acquisition of the entire 14 container vessels fleet. Navios Containers acquired the 14 vessels for a total purchase price of $118.0 million plus certain delivery and other operating costs. The Fleet was partially financed through two loan facilities of $61.0 million in aggregate, including a previously announced $40.0 million facility, and a recently completed $21.0 million facility. Following this acquisition, Navios Containers controls a fleet of 14 vessels, totaling 57,100 TEU and the current average age of the fleet is 9.7 years.

On July 31, 2017, the ZEABORN Group signed the contracts for the purchase of five 30,000dwt Superflex Heavy Lift vessels, all of which are sister ships of the previously acquired Rickmers Hamburg, and are employed in the Rickmers-Line liner service acquired by ZEABORN in April. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. While the title to the vessels will pass to ZEABORN by the end of September, they are already available to the shipping company without any restrictions.