Integrated maritime solutions leader, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), has taken the first ice class container feeder vessel, Eilbek, into management.
Three other vessels – Barmbek, Reinbek and Flottbek – will join the group by mid-April this year. The four ice class container feeder vessels were acquired by an investor group represented by the Schulte Group, said a statement from the company.
The Eilbek class feeder vessels are the first ships constructed and adapted for operation in ice class conditions to be managed by BSM Germany, it said.
Jan Warmke, managing director of BSM Germany, said: Management of these four ships marks another important milestone in BSMs continuing expansion into more specialist market segments, following entry into service of the highly sophisticated wind energy service operation vessel, Windea La Cour, last June and the recent delivery of her sister vessel, Windea Leibniz.
The ice class vessels were built in 2004 and 2005 at Meyer-Werft in Papenburg, Germany. Each has a capacity of 1,600 TEU and service speed of up to 20 knots, said a statement.
Following change of ownership, the vessels have been re-flagged from Liberia to Cyprus and will maintain their current time charter employments with Unifeeder.