Seanergy Maritime announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with an unaffiliated third party to purchase a modern Capesize vessel (the “Vessel”). Upon delivery of this acquisition, as well as the previously announced vessel purchases, the size of the Company’s fleet will increase to 15 Capesize vessels with an aggregate cargo capacity of approximately 2.65 million dwt.
The Vessel was built in 2012 at a reputable shipyard in Japan, has a cargo-carrying capacity of approximately 181,300 deadweight tons (“dwt”) and shall be renamed M/V Hellasship. The Vessel is expected to be delivered towards the end of April 2021, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions. The ballast water system installation of the Vessel was completed by the current owner and, therefore, no additional costs are envisaged for the Vessel to comply with the relevant regulations. The gross purchase price of $28.6 million is expected to be funded with cash at hand or by a combination of cash at hand and proceeds from new loan facilities.
In addition, the Company received a commitment letter from a European Bank for a $15.5 million loan facility secured by two of its Capesize vessels, the M/V Goodship and the M/V Tradership. The loan will have a tenor of four years from the drawdown date and will bear interest at 4.0% plus LIBOR per annum. The loan remains subject to customary conditions precedent and execution of definitive documentation. Seanergy is also in advanced discussions with leading financial institutions for further financing transactions at competitive terms.
Stamatis Tsantanis, the Company’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, stated:
“We are pleased to announce the agreement to acquire our 15th Capesize vessel, which will grow our fleet by 50% within the last 9 months. The planning of all our recent acquisitions has been well-timed in light of significantly improved market conditions, which attests to our position as a leading pure-play Capesize company.
Given the prompt delivery prospects, the Company is expected to benefit from the rapidly increasing freight rates. The average of the Baltic Capesize Index currently stands at about $19,000 per day, while the Capesize forward freight contracts (“FFA”) for the second quarter and second half of 2021 are trading at above $22,000 per day on average. Based on these FFA rates, the incremental net revenue from the four recently announced acquisitions may exceed $21 million for the remainder of the year, based on their planned delivery schedule.
Moreover, the new debt financing with the competitive underlying cost, will provide additional liquidity supporting our efforts to successfully execute on our strategic goal of sustainable growth and improved shareholder returns.
The improved prospects of the Capesize market are expected to continue for the coming years and based on our expanded fleet and advantageous employment arrangements, we strongly believe that Seanergy is very well-positioned to benefit from this trend.”
