Star Reefers secures two new vessels

RAY SMUTS FOLLOWING its strategy to secure modern, long-term reefer tonnage to maintain its position as a leading quality reefer operator, Star Reefers will time-charter two new vessels with a capacity of 585 000 cbft for ten years. Heidi Rousseau, representing Star Reefers in South Africa, told FTW the company had agreed to the deal with a Japanese owner. The vessels will be built at the Skikoku yard in Japan, the first scheduled for delivery between February and April 2006 and the second between November 2006 and January 2007. Star Reefers is listed on the Oslo stock exchange and has grown its fleet considerably in recent years to around 40 vessels of which a little more than 60% are liner-owned.