Höegh Autoliners ASA, has reached an agreement for the sale of the vessel Höegh Bangkok (IMO931847) for a price of USD 63,000,000. Höegh Bangkok was constructed by Höegh at the Uljanik shipyard in 2007 and has a capacity of 6500 CEU. She is sailing under the NIS flag and is unencumbered, according to the company's release.
The company has also declared an option to purchase the vessel Höegh Jacksonville from Ocean Yield for a purchase price of USD 43,220,000.
Per 30 September, the average market value of the vessel was USD 84 million. Höegh Jacksonville was built in 2014 with a capacity of 6,500 CEU and is one of the company’s best performing vessels when it comes to emissions. The company intends to finance the purchase price fully by mortgage debt through its fleet credit facility.
The sale of Höegh Bangkok is in line with the company’s strategy to renew its fleet in anticipation of the first Aurora class vessel being delivered in July 2024.
Following the transactions, Höegh Autoliners will continue to operate a fleet of 36 vessels, consisting of 31 owned vessels and 5 under long-term BB and TC leases. The company will expand its fleet with four new Aurora multifuel vessels between July 2024 and March 2025 adding 36400 CEU of capacity and another four Aurora vessels with another 36400 CEU of capacity by mid 2026.