HMM fixes gas carrier newbuilds to Mercuria

KSOE South Korean shipping major HMM has secured charter cover for the two gas carriers it ordered as part of last week’s $1.1bn newbuilding haul. The Seoul-listed company said it has signed bareboat charter contracts with a hipping unit of Swiss commodities trader Mercuria for two vessels worth KRW311.8bn ($202m). The contracts run for seven years and come with options for Mercuria to extend each deal by one to three years. The charters are scheduled to start in July 2029. Splash understands the two 90,000 cu m gas carriers have been included in HMM’s recently disclosed 10-ship newbuilding programme. HMM last week revealed a KRW1.7trn investment covering eight bulk carriers and two gas carriers as it continues to expand beyond its core container business. The company did not disclose the shipyards or detailed vessel specifications in the English version of the filing, but market sources have linked the gas carrier pair to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. HMM has been building up its non-container exposure under a 2030 growth plan that includes KRW5.6trn of investment in bulk shipping. The company has said it aims to grow its dry bulk fleet from 36 ships to 110 vessels while developing a more balanced portfolio across dry bulk and tanker markets. Adis Ajdin Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy. Read Next June 29, 2026 CMA CGM and Asyad line up $400m multipurpose terminal in Oman June 29, 2026 Eidesvik lands long-term Aker BP PSV deal June 29, 2026 DOF lands MPSV extension in Australia June 29, 2026 Enesel adds ultramaxes to dry bulk return June 29, 2026 BP wins technical services role on ONGC offshore fields Back to top button