Bw Group News

Ardmore Rejects Hafnia's Takeover Bid

Ireland-based tanker shipping company Ardmore Shipping Corporation confirmed Tuesday that it received and turned down an unsolicited acquisition proposal last month from larger competitor Hafnia Limited.BW Group's Hafnia said it sent a letter on June 19 to the chairman of Ardmore's board outlining its proposal and inviting discussion regarding an all-stock transaction.Ardmore, which owns and operates a fleet of medium range (MR) product and chemical tankers ranging from 25,000 to 50…

DNV GL, Alpha Ori Ink Digitalization MOU

DNV GL and Alpha Ori Technologies (AOT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which they agree to work together to contribute to the marine industry’s ongoing digital transformation. The MOU will also see the companies work together to unlock the benefits of new digital technologies and methods, including sharing data collaboratively, and the creation of frameworks and standards, to develop new and enhance existing products and services.The MOU is based around the installation of Alpha Ori’s SMARTShip systems on BW LPG vessels…

Shipping Executives Push 'Carbon Levies'

Executives at some of the world's top shipping groups are advocating a levy on carbon emissions on shipping in an effort to shape tightening rules on greenhouse gas emissions while providing a means to fund development of cleaner fuel sources."To meet international shipping's decarbonization challenge, the maritime industry needs a carbon levy, it is coming, and we should shape it," said Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chairman of BW Group at the Global Maritime Forum in Singapore this week.The…

FDX Offshore Acquires Womar Logistics

Connecticut-based maritime finance company FDX Offshore has acquired Singapore’s tanker pool operator Womar Logistics. Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised FDX Offshore on its acquisition.The partnership intends to expand its chemical tanker pools as well as initiate and grow independent pools in other classes of ships.FDX is led by Managing Partner Jake Scott and Partner Andy Tuchman who will both become Womar board members. Formed in 2013, FDX has been providing financial advice and capital sourcing to maritime and energy projects.Incorporated in early 2009…

Vista Shipping to Finance Product Tankers

Hafnia Tankers, a member of BW Group, and shipyard-affiliated leasing company CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping have formed a joint venture named Vista Shipping to finance and operate product tankers.A term loan facility of USD 111 million is intended to be used to finance four LR1 newbuildings. A banking consortium consisting of KfW IPEX-Bank, Societe Generale Hong Kong Branch and OCBC Singapore participate with 33% each as lenders at the term loan facility and have reached financial close.KfW IPEX-Bank acts as Facility Agent, Sinosure Agent and Security Agent.

Pavilion Inks Long-term LNG Charter Deal with BW

Singapore's Pavilion Energy has signed an agreement with commodities shipper BW Group for the long-term charter of two newly built liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, the company said on Monday.The 173,400 cubic meter vessels, expected to be delivered between 2019 and 2020, will add to Pavilion's global portfolio and boost its LNG trading expansion, the company said.The M-type, electronically controlled, gas injection (MEGI) vessels offer environmental benefits through greater efficiency and lower carbon emissions, it added."The long-term charters of these MEGI newbuilds ...

Hafnia Tankers, BW Tankers USD 2.3bln Merger Soon

Denmark-based shipping company Hafnia Tankers is exploring the possibility of consolidation with BW Tankers, part of BW Group, Hafnia’s CEO Mikael Skov said.In its half year results statement Hafnia said: “Hafnia is exploring the possibility of consolidation with BW Tankers, a company owned by BW Group, one of our shareholders.”BW Group increased its shareholdings in Hafnia in early July when it acquired BTS Tankers Partners LLC. With the acquisition, BW Group became the beneficial owner of 43.5% of the Hafnia Group.Last month…

Hafnia Tankers in Leaseback Deal with Sole Shipping Fund

Denmark's Hafnia Tankers has completed two sale and leaseback transactions with a Sole Shipping fund."Hafnia Tankers has successfully completed two sale and leaseback transactions with Skaatholmen Shipping Ltd, a company owned by Sole Shipping Special Opportunities Fund II of its 2010 built LR1 tankers, Hafnia Asia and Hafnia Arctic," said a press release from the company.The vessels have been sold to Skaatholmen Shipping with a seven-year bareboat charter back with annual purchase…

BW Group Acquires Higher Stake in Hafnia Tankers

BW Group has entered into a definitive agreement to buy a 36.3% stake in Hafnia Tankers, a shipping company formed by the management team of former Tankers Inc. The majority of the shares will be acquired through BTS, a collaboration between Blackstone-managed funds, Tufton Oceanic and Hartmann, and the balance purchased directly from certain Blackstone-managed funds. ombined with recent purchases from other shareholders, BW Group will own 43.5% of Hafnia Tankers. Carsten Mortensen…

BW Adds KVH Connectivity Services to 45 More Vessels

KVH Industries, Inc. announced that BW Group has chosen KVH’s connectivity services for 45 additional vessels in its fleet. The two companies will also continue with a connectivity contract for the LPG and LNG vessels in BW’s fleet that have had KVH’s VSAT systems and services since 2013.“We chose KVH because of their commitment to excellence, the ease of working with a sole provider, and the cost advantages that we can achieve with fast, reliable connectivity and global coverage,” says Tor-Egil Gjulem, BW Group’s global head of procurement.

BW LPG Offers to Buy Dorian LPG in $1.1 Bln Deal

The world's largest liquid petroleum gas (LPG) shipper, Norway's BW LPG, is offering to buy competitor Dorian LPG in a $1.1 billion all-stock deal in an effort to boost its earnings in a weak market, it said in a statement on Tuesday.Dorian shareholders will receive 2.05 BW LPG shares for each Dorian share, equal to $7.86 per share, a premium of 13 percent from Friday's closing price, and based on BW LPG's share price on May 28.New York-listed Dorian LPG's equity is valued at about $441 million and including debt the transaction is valued at $1.1 billion.The deal is backed by shipping conglome

Reedy Joins DHT Holdings Board of Directors

DHT Holdings, Inc. said it has appointed Susan Reedy to its board of directors as a Class I Director with a term expiring at the company's 2020 annual shareholders meeting. In connection with Reedy's appointment, the company's board has increased to six directors. Reedy’s appointment as a director is in accordance with the Investor Rights Agreement (IRA) entered into between the company and BW Group Limited on April 20, 2017. Pursuant to the IRA, BW Group is entitled to nominate two persons to the company's board. Reedy is the second person to be nominated by BW Group as a director.

IMC Envisages Singapore as Global Maritime Hub

The International Maritime Centre (IMC) 2030 Advisory Committee, established by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in August 2016, has submitted the IMC 2030 Strategic Review report to the Singapore Government. The Committee’s vision is for Maritime Singapore to be the Global Maritime Hub for Connectivity, Innovation and Talent. The Committee, chaired by Mr Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman of BW Group, comprises 21 other global business leaders and experts from diverse sectors such as maritime, finance, commodities trading, logistics, finance and technology.

BW Group Completes VLCC Deliveries to DHT

DHT Holdings, Inc. said it has taken delivery of nine VLCCs acquired from the BW Group Limited, as well as the contracts for two VLCC newbuilds due for delivery in 2018. "The delivery of the fleet acquired from BW has been conducted in a speedy and efficient manner," DHT senior management said it a press release. The deal was announced in March 2017. With the latest vessel deliveries, DHT now has a fleet of 30 VLCCs, including 26 in the water and four under construction scheduled for delivery in 2018, as well as two Aframaxes. The total dwt of the fleet  is 9,498,752.

BIMCO Awards Leadership, Innovation, Pioneering Business Strategy

BIMCO today presented three awards to recognise and celebrate excellence in the global shipping industry among both companies and individuals in the industry – following BIMCO’s conference in Shanghai. This year the importance of leadership, innovation and pioneering business strategy in shipping were clearly recognised by the judges in the choice of winners. BIMCO President Philippe Louis-Dreyfus chose to give the BIMCO President’s Award to the Tung family from Hong Kong, who run OOCL among other companies.

DSME to Build Two VLCCs for BW Group

South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has received a 200 billion won (US$179.2 million) order to build two oil tankers for Singapore-based oil and gas transporter BW Group. According to Yonhap, DSME will provide the oil and gas transporter two 318,000-ton Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) by 2018. The BW Group has ordered a total of 63 ships from Daewoo Shipbuilding and has received 53 so far. This is the 10th order DSME has won this year, and the total amount has crossed US$1 billion.

Egypt Gets FSRU from BW Gas

Norway-based BW Gas will provide Egypt with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating import terminal under a five-year contract. This comes as as the North African country's government grapples with energy shortages. "BW has been selected by The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) to provide LNG regasification services utilizing a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Ain Sokhna, Egypt," said a statement from the company. The floating regasification and import terminal, which converts super-cooled LNG into gas, is Egypt’s second.

BW Group Buys Dorian Stake

Scorpio Tankers Inc has agreed to sell its 6 million common shares of Dorian LPG Ltd to BW Euroholdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of BW Group Limited, for a purchase price of $15.34 per share. The shares will be sold pursuant to an effective resale registration statement filed by Dorian LPG on July 8, 2015, and are expected to be delivered to BW Euroholdings Limited on or around July 22, 2015. Following the sale, the Scorpio will continue to own 3,392,083 shares of Dorian's common stock, which is approximately 5.8% of Dorian.

Swire Pacific Offshore wins Industry Award at IMA

Shipowner and operator, Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte) Ltd (SPO) won the SRS Shipowner of the Year award at the Singapore International Maritime Awards (IMA) 2015 ceremony held on Tuesday, 21 April 2014 at The Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore. Held as one of the anchor events of the Singapore Maritime Week (19 - 24 April 2015), the biennial Singapore IMA ceremony seeks to give recognition to  individuals and companies for their contributions to Singapore's development as a premier global hub port and an international maritime centre.

Herlofsen Joins Statoil’s Board of Directors

In a meeting in the Corporate Assembly of Statoil ASA March 18, 2015, Rebekka Glasser Herlofsen was elected as new shareholder representative to the company’s board of directors. Grace Reksten Skaugen withdraws from the position as a member of Statoil’s board of directors. Reksten Skaugen had at an early point in time informed the nomination committee that she did not wish to stand for reelection in 2015. Since 2012, Herlofsen has been the Chief Financial Officer in the Norwegian shipping company Torvald Klaveness.

Herlofsen Elected to Statoil’s BoD

In a meeting in the Corporate Assembly of Statoil ASA (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) 18 March 2015, Rebekka Glasser Herlofsen was elected as new shareholder representative to the company’s board of directors. Grace Reksten Skaugen withdraws from the position as a member of Statoil’s board of directors. Reksten Skaugen had at an early point in time informed the nomination committee that she did not wish to stand for re-election in 2015. Since 2012, Herlofsen has been the Chief Financial Officer in the Norwegian shipping company Torvald Klaveness.

BW LPG Poaches Ackermann

Mr. Martin Ackermann has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of BW LPG Limited. Mr. Ackermann is currently the CEO of Evergas. He will take up his new role at BW LPG in Singapore once his contractual commitments have been finalised, and BW LPG's current CEO, Mr. Nicholas Gleeson, will in due course return to his previous position as Chief Financial Officer of BW Group. Martin Ackermann has been CEO of Evergas since 2008, where he has led the rejuvenation of the former Eitzen Gas fleet, including the development of eight ethane carriers on long-term contracts.

Nordic Shipholding's Establishses JV

Nordic Shipholding A/S has been informed that Pacific Alliance Group (“PAG”), which controls Nordic Shipholding’s majority shareholder, Nordic Maritime S.á r.l., has entered into an agreement with BW Group regarding the establishment of a joint venture to target a consolidation in the product tanker market. Nordic Shipholding is not a party to the agreement. It is too early to say what the consequences of this agreement will be, if any, for Nordic Shipholding. Nordic Shipholding will discuss this with PAG in the time to come.

Maersk Tankers Sells its Entire VLGC Fleet

Maersk Tankers exits Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) segment by selling its  fleet to the BW Group. The BW Group buys Maersk Tankers five owned vessels and takes over the five existing time charter commitments, which Maersk Tankers explains is part of its divestment strategy to focus on fewer segments. Hanne B. Sørensen, CEO Maersk Tankers: “This transaction supports our strategy to focus on fewer segments. Andreas Sohmen-Pao, CEO BW Group, says: “Maersk Tankers has a fleet of high quality vessels and BW is pleased to be acquiring this fleet.

LNG-FSRU Vessel: BW Place Samsung Contract

BW Maritime inks contract with Samsung Heavy Industries for BW’s first Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage Regasification Unit (LNG-FSRU). Expected to be delivered in 2015, it will be the latest addition to BW's fleet of 16 LNG carriers, building on and increasing its existing LNG expertise. This vessel and floating terminal will be able to receive and convert LNG into its gaseous form for offloading via pipelines, to gas facilities on-shore. BW is focused on its vision to be the leading brand in energy transportation…

BW Group's 1H Performance Better than Expected

Moody's Investors Service says that operating results of BW Group (Ba2 negative) in 1H 2012 were better than expected, largely because of the higher charter rates achieved by the company for its vessels. "We had expected BW Group's performance to weaken, as many of its vessels were coming off profitable time-charters in 1H and it was increasingly exposed to deteriorating spot-market rates. However, spot rates, especially in the gas carrier segments, either held up or improved," says Vikas Halan, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst.